30 years ago, Bugwood began with a simple but ambitious goal: Bring science and technology together and make high-quality, freely available tools that help support programs and education.
Formed in 1996 as the Entomology and Forest Resource Digital Information Work Group, Bugwood started with CD-ROM projects focused on entomology, forestry, forest health, and integrated pest management in Georgia and the southeastern United States. As the World Wide Web grew, so did Bugwood. By the late 1990s, the Bugwood website had become a growing network of web-based resources and image archives, preserving thousands of photographs that had previously existed as 35mm slides in labs and field offices.
In the years that followed, Bugwood released several image sites that made high-quality images freely available for education, developed and hosted a suite of specialized websites, and laid the groundwork for national invasive species tracking. That work led to the launch of EDDMapS in 2006, mobile reporting tools like IveGot1 and Wild Spotter, and more.
In 2026, Bugwood celebrates 30 years.
The Bugwood Team continues to expand and enhance the Bugwood Tools inventory. Bugwood Images now consists of five core websites – ForestryImages, IPMImages, InsectImages, WeedImages, and Invasive.org – hosting over 330,000 images from 2,744 photographers. EDDMapS has amassed over 9 million verified reports and is available via website or app for invasive species reporting, mapping species distribution, and more. The EDDMapS Pro app provides professional-level features for in-field use. Wild Spotter has expanded the Wild Place network, to include select National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service units, and has established the Wild Spotter Invasive Species Ambassador Training, conferring 117 ambassadorships to champion its campaign to protect America’s wild places.
Masters at identifying gaps and providing solutions, the Center, housed on the UGA Tifton Campus, has added Bugwood Presents, Bugwood Video, and the Regional IPM Centers Resource Database to its content management tools, accompanying Bugwood Images. In 2025, Connect was launched as a comprehensive platform, providing single sign-on and user profile management across all Bugwood Tools. It also supports resource management and shows user impact data for all Bugwood Tools. Connect provides management and organization of members and subscriber information, as well as resources for projects and groups (Collaborations). For collaborations, it facilitates communication, content contributions, and data collection to showcase interactions among users and resources.
The Center looks forward to refining the user experience and polishing its Bugwood Tools for the virtual Bugwood Summit on April 16 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Registration is open. Save a seat today!
The Center looks forward to refining the user experience and polishing its Bugwood Tools for the virtual Bugwood Summit on April 16 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Registration is open. Save a seat today!
