Issues - Arthropod biodiversity and invasive species

As scientists and citizens, it is important to study and understand the complexity of biodiversity. Measuring and documenting biodiversity provides fundamental information about the status and relative health of living organisms and the environments where they are found (e.g., indicator species). There is perhaps no greater threat to biodiversity than invasive species. To review a list of all recent advocacy activities chronologically, please see this page, or the Science Policy Newsletter.

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ESA, ESC, and ESBC Host Grand Challenges Summit on Invasive Species (December 10, 2018)
Last month ESA co-hosted a summit on invasive species with the Entomological Society of Canada and the Entomological Society of British Columbia as part of the joint annual meeting of the three societies. With over 150 researchers in the room, the goal was to start to find common ground for addressing the invasive species challenge on an international scale. A summit report is still being drafted, but two key outcomes emerged. First, the need for more international collaboration to solve the problem on a global scale. As a step toward that, a second outcome was the announcement of an innovative crowd funding challenge grant to kickstart innovative research on the topics addressed. ESA will partner with Experiment on this initiative and contribute $1,500 in additional funding. (Experiment co-founder Denny Luan is shown in the photo to the right announcing the funding opportunity). Learn more about the challenge grant here.

ESA Launches Invasive Species Management Challenge Grant (November 14, 2018)
In partnership with Experiment, ESA launched a challenge grant to support crowd-funding solutions to invasive species management and control challenges. The project follows the very successful GCAFE summit on invasive arthropods held in Vancouver on Nov. 9-10. Grants that seek to address key focus areas identified at the summit will be considered (areas are prevention, detection, response, and policy). Applicants do not need to have attended the summit to apply. On February 21, ESA will provide an extra $1,000 in funding to the leading project and $500 in funding to the second-leading project. Details are on the Experiment website.

ESA Nominates Rob Venette to Serve on ISAC (February 21, 2018)
In response to a call for nominations, President Parrella nominated Dr. Rob Venette, Director of the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Science at the University of Minnesota, to serve on the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC), which operates as an advisory body for the National Invasive Species Council (NISC). NISC provides high-level interdepartmental coordination of Federal invasive species actions and works with other Federal and non-Federal groups to address invasive species issues at the national level.

ESA Seeking Society Nominations to the ISAC (January 25, 2018)
On December 27, 2017, the US Department of Interior, on behalf of the interdepartmental National Invasive Species Coalition announced a call for nominations for new members of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC). This information was posted to eNews and the Science Policy Newsletter and qualified members of ESA were encouraged to self-nominate. The deadline for nominations is February 26. Prior to the deadline, ESA is seeking to bolster entomology's representation on ISAC by supporting a few key nominations. If you have already self-nominated and would like to seek ESA's endorsement of your candidacy, please fill out this form.

New Grand Challenges Summit Announced (January 8, 2018)
To address the grand challenge of invasive arthropod species, the Entomological Society of America (ESA), the Entomological Society of Canada (ESC), and the Entomological Society of British Columbia (ESBC) will host a one-day summit on 10 November, 2018. The summit, which will be invitation only, will be held immediately prior to the Joint Annual Meeting of the three societies in Vancouver, BC. 

ESA Endorses Museum and Library Services Act of 2016 (November 29, 2016)
On December 6, 2016, ESA President Susan Weller personally delivered a copy of a letter to Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) in support of the Museum and Library Services Act of 2016 (MLSA) which supports authorization of the 21st Century Museum Professional Program. President Weller also visited several offices of the Nebraska congressional delegation advocating for –among other items– support of the Act. The MLSA is expected to be re-introduced in the US Senate in January 2017.

ESA Joins Letter to Congress on Climate Change (June 28, 2016)
On June 28, ESA and 30 other nonpartisan scientific organizations sent a letter to every member of Congress reinforcing the consensus among the scientific community that human activities are contributing to increasing levels of greenhouse gases, which is having a progressively more negative effect on the United States and the rest of the world.

Entomologists Support Specimen Collections (June 24, 2014)
Leaders of ESA's Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity Section have voiced support for museum collections that house biological specimens, and they encourage future collecting for conservation and management efforts.

ESA Holds Hill Briefing on Invasive Insect Species (April 23, 2014)
On April 23, 2014, ESA hosted a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill titled “Invasive Insect Species: Pestering Our Economy and Environment.” Attended by approximately 60 staff from congressional offices and federal agencies, the briefing provided an opportunity to educate Capitol Hill staff on invasive insect issues and to raise the profile of ESA in Washington, D.C.

Entomologists Offer Help to Field Museum of Natural History (January 7, 2013)
While acknowledging that the museum faces financial hardships and that action must be taken to ensure its survival, Dr. Wiedenmann offered to provide help from members of ESA, which once faced a similar situation.