New Member Introduction: Megan Pistolese-Shaw SLELO PRISM

Megan Pistolese-Shaw is the Education, Outreach, and Communications Coordinator for St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (SLELO PRISM). SLELO PRISM is one of eight PRISMs that span the state of New York. SLELO PRISM is hosted by The Nature Conservancy and encompasses the five counties of Oneida, Oswego, Jefferson, Lewis and part of St. Lawrence. SLELO PRISM has a staff of 4 including experts in program coordination, outreach, invasive species management and ecosystem restoration. Each role is essential to guiding strategy, engaging the public, and protecting natural areas from the impacts of invasive species.

The PRISM network stemmed from recommendations from the NYS Invasive Species Task Force in 2005 and are funded by the NYS Environmental Protection fund in coordination with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and various partners. The main purpose of the PRISM Network is to coordinate invasive species management functions to minimize the harm caused by invasive species on NY's environment, economy, and human health. ​​PRISMs have made tremendous progress towards preventing the introduction and spread of invasive species and mitigating the impacts of existing invasive species within the state.

Megan Pistolese-Shaw holds a B.S. from Empire State University. Since 2015, she has served as the Education, Outreach, and Communications Coordinator for SLELO PRISM. Through this role, she leads marketing and communication efforts and coordinates invasive species awareness initiatives across the five counties of Oneida, Oswego, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence in northern New York.

Megan Pistolese-Shaw enjoys spending time with family and friends, gardening, kayaking, hiking, camping, and outdoor adventure.