DOI: 10.15468/cgg3lk
title: ACT and Southern Tablelands Weed Spotter

description: The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) ACT and Southern Tablelands Weedspotter web portal and mobile phone weed mapping application (weed mapping app)

WHAT IS IT?
The web portal and associated weed mapping application allows individuals, industry, government and community groups to:

 Electronically map weed infestations in the field, including:
 What the weed species was,
 Where it was seen,
 When it was seen,
 How many plants were seen, and
 How dense the infestation was
 Record weed control activities, including:
 What type of control,
 When it was controlled,
 Which species were targeted, and
 How effective the control effort was
 Store that information on the Weedspotter web portal,
 View, manage, review and analyse this information and generate maps and reports on this information to help in future weed management planning.

WHY DO WE NEED IT?

If you are passionate about controlling weeds in our region, you know how to identify and/or control weeds and you want to be part of the solution - to protect farm lands and nature conservation areas from weeds - then register and become involved.

The Weedspotter web portal and weed mapping app helps us to collaborate more and be more effective in controlling weeds in our region, by allowing all users to:

 provide an early warning of new and emerging weeds coming into our region
 track changes in weed occurrence over time and at different sites;
 track weed control effort - where it has occurred, what weeds have been targeted and how effective this work has been;

By understanding what is happening to weeds in our region - individuals (such as farmers), groups (such as Landcare and ParkCare groups) and government can:

 prevent new and emerging weeds from becoming a problem.
 prioritise weed control effort in their area of interest, and

Identifying and controlling new and emerging weeds is particularly important in a changing climate, as weeds that previously could not survive in our climate, are starting to appear in our region and are at risk of becoming invasive and becoming the next problem weed.

WHAT IS ON THE WEBSITE AND APP?
Weed species of interest

This section includes:

 Weed species of interest to the 10 local government areas and the ACT government. These are lists of weeds that NSW local government areas (LGAs) and the ACT government have identified as weeds that could become a problem, are starting to become a problem or are already widespread in our region (the weeds of interest vary across the different LGAs and in the ACT). The ACT and NSW LGAs are particularly interested in new and emerging weeds that are at risk of becoming invasive and becoming the next problem weed
 Species profiles - each species listed in the weeds of interest will include detailed information and photos to assist users to identify weed species in the field (using the app) or when they are on the website.
 Identification Tool - a Weed Identification Tool that assists all users to identify those hard to pick weeds (this will include look-alikes that are not weeds including native look-alike plants) in the field (using the app) or on the website.

Mapping - How to contribute
There are three mapping tools on the website and available through the app. Each of these mapping tools allows users to photograph weeds of interest, weed infestations of interest or weed control effort and lodge them on the portal. This will assist in confirming weed identification and also tracking change over time.

 A general weed mapping tool - which allows users to digitally record in the field or through the portal, a single weed species at a single site.
 A more advanced weed mapping tool - which allows users to digitally record (field based and directly into the website portal) a weed infestation - including multiples species, the infestation area and the infestation density at one site.
 A tool for recording weed treatment/management information at a particular site.

To use the mapping tools - register for the site.

Weed sightings to date
This area of the website allows users to look at what they have mapped, what else has been mapped in the region - by location, species, date and type of record (single species, multi-species of weed control effort); analyse this data, develop a report and maps and print these documents. This also provides a link to the broader Atlas of Living Australia website and all the biodiversity data that can be accessed through the ALA website.

HOW DO I GET HOLD OF THE MOBILE PHONE APP?
The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) ACT and Southern Tablelands Weedspotter mobile phone applications are available in IPhone and Android Smart phones from the Apple iTunes Store or from Google Play.