IPP Program

   Invasive Plant Patrol (IPP) has been taking place on Toddy Pond since 2003. This program, offered through Lake Stewards of Maine, has now earned distinction as one of the most successful citizen science programs in the country. Toddy Pond has 23 surveyors patrolling 31 miles of shoreline every summer. Eighteen of these have taken the IPP 101 training to become certified. Toddy Pond Association is proud of the fact that since 2011, we have completed Level 3 surveys every summer through 2019, which means that the entire shoreline was patrolled.  

  Bob LeVine is the person credited with bringing Toddy Pond to its current level of surveillance, while personally providing educational materials to ensure quality. In 2017, several of us worked together to produce a booklet titled “Native Plants of Toddy Pond” showing photos of 50 common aquatic plants found in our lake, most of the photos taken by Linda Jellison from South Toddy. All patrollers are entitled to a free copy but many others have purchased this booklet as well.

  While Courtesy Boat Inspection (CBI) is considered the first line of defense against invasive plants and species, IPP is the back-up, providing assurance that any infestations will be caught early enough for effective eradication or mitigation. To date, no invasive plants have been found in Toddy Pond or in Hancock County, but in late 2019, our region was shocked to hear that a large, well established colony of invasive milfoil was discovered in a popular fishing region to the northeast of us. Our boat inspection data show boats entering into Toddy from infested lakes to the east and west of us, and invasive milfoil was actually found on a boat/trailer. So vigilance is crucial.

  For most surveyors, plant patrol requires just 2-3 hours of paddling, snorkeling or slow motoring on a small stretch of waterfront close to their home in mid to late summer. Gaining familiarity with the native plants is the best way to know if something strange shows up. For some of us, plant patrol covers several days, as quite a few sectors have no regular patrollers, including the south end of Toddy, which is rich in plants. 

   Patrollers keep a look-out for eleven invasive plants, easily eliminated with a simple key, but
“milfoil” is the best known. Toddy actually has three kinds of milfoil which are NOT invasive, and nothing to worry about. The botanists tell us to appreciate the native plants, like pickerel weed, that appears to invade our waterfronts, for they provide good habitat for fish and their presence keeps the invasives out. We also keep a look-out for the highly invasive zebra mussel and a couple other invertebrates.

   The IPP 101 training is now available on-line through LSM, but you don’t need certification to sign up for a sector. We offer a personal tutorial. Email Lucy.Leaf@yahoo.com if you would like an on-water introduction to the plants near your dock, or if you see anything that looks suspicious to you. 

  Help protect Toddy by becoming a Plant Patroller.