# WA Invasives

> Mobile app for identifying and reporting invasive species in Washington State. (iPhone/iPad app by Charles T. Bargeron.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wa-invasives/id826772026 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Charles T. Bargeron](https://appshunter.io/developer/381326173)
- Category: Education
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 61 App Store ratings · 29 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 18.6 · 29 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2014-03-04
- Data updated: 2026-09-02
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wa-invasives/id826772026/reviews.md

## What is WA Invasives?

DESCRIPTION
Invasive species are non-native plants, animals, and insects that harm native species, ecosystems, native people’s cultural resources, and industries such as agriculture, forestry, and hydropower. Expansions of global trade and increases in human mobility have resulted in unprecedented invasion by invasive species. These species threaten biodiversity, habitat quality, and ecosystem function and are believed to have contributed to the decline of 42% of the endangered and threatened species in the United States. In Washington, the costs of dealing with invasive species are in the millions of dollars each year.

Managing invasive species here in Washington State is complex due to the number and types of pathways through which species are introduced. A number of local, state and federal agencies and organizations work to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species, physically control or eradicate them, monitor their distribution, and understand their characteristics. Now you can help contribute to identifying and reporting invasive species before they become a bigger problem. The goal of this mobile app is to make species identification easier and help improve detection and reporting of harmful invasive species statewide

You can submit invasive species sighting reports directly with your mobile device where they occur. These sighting reports are submitted to Washington Invasive Species Council (WISC) staff and technical experts throughout the state to review and approve sighting reports. Sightings that are approved will be viewable directly through the app’s mapping tool. You can also learn more about priority invasive species in Washington with easy-to-understand descriptions and images. This mobile app is part of an integrated invasive species reporting and outreach campaign for WISC that also includes a website with an online reporting form.

FEATURES

GPS and Photo Tools Easy species reporting uses your GPS to capture your current location and an image of your sightings.

Offline Caching Report sightings that can be saved on your phone for uploading when you have network connectivity.

Easy-to-Learn Species Info Images and information on Washington Invasive Species Council’s priority plant and animal species.

View other sighting reports Dynamic distribution maps showing confirmed sightings of all species captured through the app from your current location.

ABOUT THE WASHINGTON INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL
Established by the Legislature in 2006, the Council provides policy-level direction, planning, and coordination for combating harmful invasive species throughout the state and preventing the introduction of others that may be potentially harmful. More information is available at https://invasivespecies.wa.gov.

## Key features

- GPS and photo reporting
- Offline sighting caching
- Species identification information
- View confirmed sighting maps
- Submit reports to WISC

## Recent user reviews (10 of 29)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wa-invasives/id826772026/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Great reference resource

*2026-05-16*

In my opinion, this is one of the most informative nature resource references available to any resident or visiting Washingtonian.  Being able to have a quick guide to refer to is wonderful. It is also fun to do an inverse scavenger hunt (with kids or without) when on a trail etc. and be a helping hand in protecting our beautiful Pacific Northwest environment.

I think this would be a great resource for educators of all kinds in our state.

### 5/5 — Easy to use

*2025-07-18*

Easy to use to identify and report noxious weeds and harmful insects

### 1/5 — Reporting flow is broken

*2024-05-28*

I so want this app to work! I downloaded it a year ago and just tried again to report stink bugs in my neighborhood, but once I go to "Report a Sighting" the map opens, the pin appears, and....there is no Submit button or other option to send the data anywhere.

### 1/5 — So Bad It’s Useless

*2024-04-17*

What should be a great resource has been made irrelevant by lackluster programming: photos loaded to fit a fixed block instead of in their native aspect ratio, making recognition difficult; map that only display points for what should include polygons, has an arbitrarily truncated species selection list, and can only choose all or one at a time; reporting interface that is unintuitive and uninstructive.

On top of that, the information provided is unhelpful: a single (misshapen) photo per species, no links to learn more, and -the biggest head scratcher- ‘how to distinguish’ sections that… doesn’t tell you how to distinguish them from other species, just tells you that they look similar!? Come on.

### 1/5 — Lacks common sense

*2023-05-08*

Cannot search for plants. Lists aren’t collapsible, I spent very little time near water, but Aquatic plants are always displayed. I made a report and this stupid app shows my personal information so security is an absolute joke! And what the purpose of reporting anything f the queue stays open for months!? Did someone just decide to make an app with no consideration of these things?

### 1/5 — Does not actually work

*2022-05-11*

As stated the report function does not work at all. It’s ridiculously difficult to move the pin and the report citing button does not function at all rendering this app pointless.I have been trying to report Nutria.

### 3/5 — Accessibility issues- Hard to read tiny font

*2022-03-05*

Just downloaded this app after seeing a story on KIRO 7 news —haven’t used it yet, but seems like a great idea. But, the font is very tiny & hard to read for folks without great vision.  Please use iOS dynamic font.

### 1/5 — Wish it worked

*2021-10-02*

Running pp on 5th gen iPad and I have the same problem I had when this app first came out using an iPhone7. You can move the pin but unable to send the report.

### 2/5 — Need update

*2021-08-04, version 4.1.4*

Seemingly doesn’t actually have a functioning “report a sighting” function.

### 2/5 — Could not open ‘i’

*2020-08-31*

Not useful as supposed to be. After pinpointing the location & hitting the ‘i’ it only opened up the camera option. No way to fill in details.

## Frequently asked questions about WA Invasives

### What does the WA Invasives app do?

The app helps users identify and report invasive plant, animal, and insect species in Washington State. It allows you to submit sighting reports with GPS coordinates and photos, contributing to the state's invasive species management efforts.

### How can I report an invasive species sighting?

You can report a sighting by using the app's GPS tool to capture your current location and taking a photo of the species. These reports are then submitted to Washington Invasive Species Council staff for review and approval.

### Is the WA Invasives app free to use?

Yes, the WA Invasives app is completely free to download and use. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements.

### Can I use the app if I don't have internet access?

Yes, the app features offline caching. You can save your sighting reports on your phone even without network connectivity and upload them later when you have internet access.

### What kind of information is available about invasive species?

The app provides easy-to-understand descriptions and images for priority invasive plant and animal species in Washington State. This helps users learn more about the species they encounter.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 5.0.5 — 2026-08-14

•  Updated Image capture and selection to use a more modern approach and save EXIF Data for more accuracy of report information.
•  Accessibility Improvements

For any questions or concerns, use the in-app feedback feature or email us at bugwood@uga.edu.

### 5.0.4 — 2026-05-27

The text on the reporter view of the report form views has changed. A typo was corrected on the species details page. Updates to the map were made to make the info window display correctly. For any questions, concerns or suggestions, email us either through the in app feedback feature or at bugwood@uga.edu.

### 5.0.3 — 2026-03-16

Resolved an issue with account registration — new user sign-ups are now working correctly. Sorry for any inconvenience this caused, and thanks for sticking with us! For any questions, concerns or suggestions, email us either through the in app feedback feature or at bugwood@uga.edu.

### 5.0.2 — 2025-12-13

Minor UI updates and upload routine improvements. For any questions, concerns or suggestions, email us either through the in app feedback feature or at bugwood@uga.edu.

### 5.0.1 — 2025-07-18

A Minor update to handle a threading issue on launch. For any questions, concerns or suggestions, email us either through the in app feedback feature or at bugwood@uga.edu.

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## More apps by Charles T. Bargeron

- [IveGot1](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivegot1/id381326170)
- [EDDMapS West](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eddmaps-west/id481009243)
- [Invasives in Southern Forests](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/invasives-in-southern-forests/id495852751)
- [IPCConnect](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipcconnect/id497977974)
- [Outsmart Invasive Species](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/outsmart-invasive-species/id499957573)
- [Mid-Atlantic EDN](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mid-atlantic-edn/id501239698)

All apps by Charles T. Bargeron: https://appshunter.io/developer/381326173

## Related topics

[nyis](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/nyis) · [invasive species](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/invasive-species) · [imap invasives](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/imap-invasives)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-02.*