Hanna Pitkin, left, and Mae Derrig and Strawberry the dog collect rusty crayfish in Rangeley Lake at night. Submitted photo

Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust hosted its first Invasive Rusty Crayfish Contest Aug. 7-13 in the Rangeley Lakes Region. The trust provided a trap, information to correctly identify the native and invasive species, and cash prizes to incentivize the public to participate.

The winning team, from left, include Micah Derrig, Mae Derrig, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust’s Julia Morin, and Hanna Pitkin. Submitted photo

Eight teams participated in removing 148 invasive rusty crayfish, weighing 2 lbs. 3 oz, from the Rangeley Lakes Region. The winning team, the Hunter Cove Crayfish Killers, collected 70 rusty crayfish, including 36 females with a total weight of 1 lb. 1 oz.

“This week-long event was a huge success, and I’m so grateful to our participants for taking action to remove invasives,” said Julia Morin, the Maine Conservation Corps Environmental Steward at RLHT who organized the event, according to a news release from Amanda Laliberte, programs and communications staffer for the trust.

RLHT also mailed specimens from its participants to Dr. Karen Wilson from the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Southern Maine. These specimens will assist her in monitoring crayfish throughout the state.

Email Morin at headwaters@rlht.org with questions regarding invasive aquatic species, including rusty crayfish.

Check out other upcoming area events!