Invasive species pose significant threats including economic losses in agriculture and horticulture, decreased biodiversity, human and animal health hazards, disruption of native ecosystems, and more. In the U.S., the losses due to invasive species were historically estimated at around $120 billion annually, but a more recent study suggests this cost is much higher at $1.2 trillion. Florida is a high-risk state for the introduction and establishment of invasive species due to the state’s diversity of agricultural commodities, mild winters, large number of international deep-water ports and airports, and highly desirable tourism operations. Research shows that the public plays an important role in early detection of invasive species, but awareness is critical to the development of strong volunteer-based networks. Licensed pesticide applicators, often the first to observe suspicious pests, play a crucial role in both early detection and ongoing management of non-native species in Florida. To address these challenges, the First Fridays with Florida First Detector webinar program was developed. This yearlong pilot program offered one-hour lunch time webinars on the first Friday of every month beginning in September 2022. Leveraging innovative online education techniques, the program aimed to connect diverse professional and public audiences across Florida. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of invasive species issues, webinars engaged multiple stakeholder groups including farmers, horticultural professionals, landscapers, land managers, master gardener volunteers, homeowners, and beyond. The content focused on increasing knowledge about invasive species, including the identification of species not yet detected and recently introduced species in Florida. The goals were to promote early detection of new species, monitor the spread of recently introduced species, and offer sustainable management recommendations for species currently impacting Florida. Each month highlighted a different pest group including invasive fruit flies, palm pests, wood boring insects, citrus pests, snails, and more. Post-reflective surveys demonstrated that 94.7% (n=675) of respondents increased their knowledge on invasive species and 99.9% intended to adopt at least one practice learned. Six-month follow up surveys, evaluating behavior implementation over time, showed that 97.5% (n=166) of respondents had adopted at least one practice (i.e. submitted samples of suspicious pests, employed integrated pest management, etc.) since attending a webinar. The findings underscore the effectiveness of interdisciplinary, collaborative approaches in addressing invasive species challenges. This presentation will discuss the methodologies and experiences in developing and implementing the one-year pilot program as well as the program’s future directions and potential applicability to other regions.
