The Class of 2026 Wild Spotter Invasive Species Ambassador Training has been rescheduled for February 2-4, 2027. The location remains unchanged.
An Invasives Free North American Field Tour, anticipated for mid-2026, will be added to complement the Training, though attendance is not required for certification as an Invasive Species Ambassador. The tour offers an opportunity to see other programs in action, network with professionals with similar tasks/goals, exchange ideas, and apply knowledge learned at prior Trainings. Details will be posted late February 2026.
Wild Spotter is a national citizen science campaign – based on tools, places, outreach and community – to help protect U.S. landscapes from invasive species. Built on the EDDMapS framework, the user-friendly Wild Spotter app empowers land managers, agency staff, volunteers, and citizen scientists to identify, map, and report invasive species in real-time.
The Wild Spotter Invasive Species Ambassador Training, a component of the campaign, will familiarize participants with the Invasives Free USA concept, the Wild Spotter app, and provide them with a comprehensive toolbox of best practices for grassroots program success. This training emphasizes the human element of invasive species management, focusing on community involvement rather than solely on prevention or control. Participants will gain specialized skills, demonstrated by experts, to support management efforts and engage community-driven citizen science to affect real impact in the wild places you care about and beyond.
The application window is now open for the Wild Spotter Invasive Species Ambassador Training Class of 2027. Review the overview agenda, apply today, and get ready to join us February 2–4, 2027, at Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge in north Alabama.
By combining technology with on-the-ground action, Wild Spotter makes it easy for anyone to get involved in the fight against invasive species. Join the training and walk away with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to make a real difference in protecting America’s wild places (and your favorite places) for future generations!
Admission to the Training program is application-based. Applications are currently open and reviewed on a rolling basis.
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page ….
Wild Spotter Invasive Species Ambassador Class of 2025.
Lake Guntersville State Park houses a collective 6,000 acres of natural woodland prime for outdoor recreation. the resort is nestled along the banks of the Tennessee River in North Alabama. Event hosts are excited to bring the Invasive Species Ambassador Training to this natural environment.
Engaging and empowering the public to help find, map, and prevent invasive species in America’s wilderness areas, wild rivers, and other natural places. Download the mobile app, become a Wild Spotter citizen scientist volunteer, and help protect America’s Wild Places!
Invasives Free is the concept of creating areas, large and small, free of invasive species to allow for restoration of natural habitat, plants and wildlife. Local engagement and organization are required to prevent and control invasive species.
Invasives Free USA and Wild Spotter, in unison as concept and program, provide the foundation on which the Ambassador program is based, emphasizing a grassroots movement focused on building local capacity and increasing community engagement regarding invasive species management. The Invasives Free USA campaign, initiated in 2016 by privately-owned IPC, focuses on protecting our favorite outdoor places from invasive species. Wild Spotter engages and empowers the public to find, map, and prevent invasive species in America’s wild places via Smartphone app, putting the power of citizen science at your fingertips.
The Class of 2027 application window is open. Anyone involved in managing or stewarding land where invasive species
are a concern is encouraged to apply. This can include volunteers, landowners, or land managers working at local, regional, state,
tribal, or national levels—on both public and private lands.
Class tuition is kept to a minimum ($335/trainee) to cover meals, materials, and the Ambassador uniform.
No travel expenses are included.