A newly improved Battler Resource Base to provide a central base for all invasive species management resources from around the Pacific
Invasive species practitioners across the Pacific region now have a newly improved, one-stop-shop for all invasive species management resources.
The Battler Resource Base (BRB), launched virtually on 15 June 2022, is an online resource platform hosted on the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) website and managed by the SPREP Invasive Species Team.
The ultimate goal of the BRB is to provide a central base for all invasive species stakeholder information needs. It offers national invasive species practitioners and stakeholders from around the Pacific an easier way to find information and knowledge products to assist with their programme of works, research on priority species and management of invasive species projects.
The BRB launch introduced new users to the platform and its functions through a public user tutorial demonstrating how to navigate the platform’s features.
The BRB recently underwent a significant upgrade, and now features a new search engine with added functionality. In addition to the search engine, information can be browsed according to country.
The Pacific Invasive Species Battler Series can also be found on the platform, and they provide the latest information on invasive species issues, case studies and guides on common invasive species issues. Links to other related online resources and toolkits are easily accessible on the platform.
SPREP Regional Invasive Species Project Manager, Bradley Myer said the BRB is a convenient tool for all users.
“It saves users from having to remember various toolkits as they are all now in a centralised location,” he said.
During the launch, an interactive session showed that most users were new to using the improved BRB and were willing to share information on the platform. Practitioners and users wanting to share information on the BRB were also encouraged to contact the SPREP Invasive Species Team.
The participants also indicated the lack of use of the BRB in the past was due to various issues such as challenges in loading time and internet connection. Invasive Species PRISMSS Associate, Josef Pisi, welcomed the feedback. “Feedback from users is essential in refining and improving the BRB for public use,” he said.
The upgrade of the BRB was funded by the Global Environment Facility Regional Invasives Project (GEF 6 RIP), and supported by the Managing Invasive Species for Climate Change Adaptation in the Pacific (MISCCAP) project.
The GEF 6 RIP is funded by the Global Environment Facility, implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme, and executed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. Implementation of the GEF6RIP is supported by the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS).
The MISCCAP project is a PRISMSS – New Zealand collaboration project developed to assist in establishing PRISMSS systems and infrastructure, upscaling on-the-ground support, and strengthening and mainstreaming invasive species management across the Pacific.
The SPREP Invasive Species Team works toward reducing the socio-economic and ecological impact of invasive species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate priority species. They coordinate the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS), the Pacific Invasive Learning Network (PILN), a network for invasive species practitioners battling invasive species in Pacific countries and territories, and the Pacific Invasives Partnership (PIP), the Invasive Species Working Group of the Roundtable for Nature Conservation in the Pacific Islands.
The BRB can be accessed at https://brb.sprep.org/
This story was written by Christine Tuioti, originally published at SPREP on 20 June 2022, reposted via PACNEWS.
