Free webinar on the New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team

Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/178847775

The New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team is a statewide non-profit with a mission “to prevent the spread of emerging invasive species across the state of New Jersey”.  Started in 2008 as the Central Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team, the project expanded statewide in 2011 and consists of over 100 public and private partners.  Our goals are to serve as the data clearinghouse for all emerging invasive species in NJ, educate citizens to encourage voluntary restrictions on the purchase of invasive plants, and assist land managers in using “Early Detection & Rapid Response” to combat invasive species before they can cause significant ecological damage.  Our speaker will be Melissa Almendinger.  Melissa is the Education Director for the NJ Invasive Species Strike Team.  She is also an original co-chair and the founding Executive Director (2010-2013).  Melissa holds a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from Rutgers University and is a New Jersey Certified K-12 science teacher.  She also serves on the board of the Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council.  Previous to the Strike Team, she worked for the Upper Raritan Watershed Association for over 6 years as both a Stewardship Director and Education/Outreach Director.   Title: Cooperative Invasive Species Management in NJ Date: Thursday, October 10, 2013 Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT   After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.   System Requirements PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 8, 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server Mac®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer Mobile attendees Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: Preparing Woodland Owners for Impacts to the Hocking Hills Region on October 26th

seohiowoods

Eastern hemlocks play a key role in the ecology and economy of the Hocking Hills. These trees, however, are currently threatened by the recent discovery of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in Ohio and the Hocking Hills

Join us for a program designed to introduce home owners and woodland owners to the potential threats, impacts, and management issues presented by the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in the Hocking Hills Region.  You will also learn about the newly formed Hocking Hills Conservation Association http://hemlockhero.com and their efforts to combat this pest, and the efforts of the ODNR Division of Forestry to provide services to Small Woodlot owners in the Hocking Hills

When:
Saturday, October 26th, 2013
1:00 to 3:00 pm

Where:
Camp Oty’Okwa
24799 Purcell Rd.
South Bloomingville, OH

For more information contact:

Rebecca Miller, Hocking SWCD  740-385-3016 or Rebecca.Miller@oh.nacdnet.net

Dave Apsley, OSU Extension (740)710-3009 or apsley.1@osu.edu

                 

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Forestry Field Day in Morgan County – October 18

seohiowoods

Featuring:

• Demonstrations by Stine Horse Logging (AM)/Portable Sawmill (PM). Conditions permitting
•  Discussions and demonstrations focusing on identifying and treating invasive plants
• Woodland management walk
• Presentation on White-Nose Syndrome in bats
• Displays and presentations on invasive insects and diseases threatening Ohio’s forests: HWA, TCD, ALB and EAB
• Discussion on early detection of and rapid response to invasivesResources available for woodland owners
• Lunch will be provided by AEP;  Please RSVP

Location:

AEP Recreation Lands

Hook Lake- Campground A
9160 N. St. Rt. 83
McConnelsville, Ohio 43756

 Directions from McConnelsville:

•     Take OH 78 North approximately
•     8.9 miles, turn left onto OH 83.
•     Follow OH 83 approx. 2.4 miles.
•     Hook Lake is on the Right.

For more information and to RSVP Contact:

OSU Extension—Morgan County

Call:       740-962-4854

Email:    penrose.1@osu.edu

Please RSVP by October 16th  to help us with lunch planning

Brochure:

Forestry Field Day Hook Lake Oct 18

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Enhancing Food Production for Woodland Wildlife on October 11th

seohiowoods

Southeastern Ohio is blessed with an abundance of wildlife species from wild turkey and white-tailed deer to bobcats and Cerulean warblers. Many of Ohio’s woodland owners list wildlife as a key reason for owning their properties. “Enhancing Food Production for Woodland Wildlife”, an educational program designed to provide woodland owners with the knowledge to improve wildlife habitat on their property, will be offered at the Vinton Furnace State Forest on Friday, October 11 from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Participants in this program will:

• Learn about the wide variety of food for wildlife that is produced by native trees and shrubs
• Understand the nutritional needs of some common woodland wildlife species
• Visit field sites which demonstrate practices that enhance wildlife food production
• Discuss and practice techniques that can enhance the production of food for wildlife
• Spend “A Day in the Woods” with foresters and Ohio’s…

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REMOVAL OF INVASIVE SPECIES IN CLEVELAND METROPARKS BECOMES ART INSTALLATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SPACES GALLERY

http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/EventsProgramsCalendar/1822.aspx

http://www.spacesgallery.org/project/retro-reflections-on-sculpting-nature

The removal of an invasive plant species is not normally considered art, but a unique partnership between Cleveland Metroparks and SPACES Gallery is about to change that.

    Japanese-born artist Mimi Kato, a SPACES World Artist Program resident, created a participatory art installation at Sunset Pond in the North Chagrin Reservation that coincides with the Park District’s removal of the invasive species glossy buckthorn.

    To create the exhibit, Cleveland Metroparks Invasive Plant Management Crew used power and hand tools to remove large quantities of buckthorn shrubs around Sunset Pond. As the buckthorn was removed, Kato used reflective tape to represent each buckthorn stem, creating a one-of-a-kind outdoor art installation that will be visible from across the pond along the trail next to the pond.

    The exhibit will be in place from August 23 through October 17. To experience the installation, visitors must bring a flashlight or headlamp to the park in the evening. The exhibit is meant to be viewed by putting the flashlight next to your eyes and aiming it across the water to see lights reflected back by the tape. Each light represents a buckthorn plant that crew members cut and treated with herbicide.

    As Kato moved around the U.S. over the past six years, she noticed something strange: an abundance of plant life she recognized from her birthplace in Nara, Japan. Plants like Japanese knotweed, glossy buckthorn and kudzu made new landscapes unexpectedly familiar to her. Over time, Kato learned that these plants are extremely problematic invasive species in the U.S., disturbing the health and diversity of ecosystems. She was fascinated by the fact that plants she knew to be useful became damaging simply by being in the wrong place.

    Her work in both Cleveland Metroparks and SPACES highlights one of the most problematic invasive plants in the region, glossy buckthorn, and the efforts of invasive plant control crews to maintain an ecological balance in the Park District. The project allows the audience to appreciate the sheer volume of invasive species that threaten the ecological health of our region and aims to start a dialogue to discuss what impact we have on our surroundings and what role we want to play in creating our daily landscapes.

    Sunset Pond is located next to North Chagrin Nature Center, off Buttermilk Falls Parkway, off the Sunset Lane entrance of North Chagrin Reservation, off SOM Center Road/Route 91 in Mayfield Village. For more information, call 440-473-3370.

Kudzu: The Vine that Ate the…North?

Kudzu (Pueraria montana) has long been known as “the vine that ate the south”.  In recent years, however, it has been gaining a foothold in Ohio.  There are currently more than 60 known locations in the state.  Although the majority of these areas are located in southern Ohio, it can be found across the entire state from Lawrence to Cuyahoga County.  Twenty-two counties are known to have populations of this invasive vine, revealing that cold winters aren’t enough to keep it at bay.

Kudzu was introduced to the United States in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition to be planted in its Japanese Garden area.  The large bright green leaves and showy purple flowers quickly led to its use in the horticultural industry, and in the 1930s it was widely planted for erosion control.  From there, its use as livestock forage was discovered, leading to plantings throughout the south to feed cattle.  Ohio has recently joined at least 14 other states in adding kudzu to the state’s noxious weed list.

This is a species that poses many threats to our Ohio woodlands.  Kudzu has been shown to have very rapid growth rates (up to a foot a day), and can take over large areas of land relatively quickly.  This vine will grow over anything it encounters, including trees, killing them over time.  Kudzu is very aggressive and can quickly cover an area, blocking sunlight to all native plants.  Once established in an area, kudzu is very difficult to control.  Early detection and removal is the best method for getting rid of it.

Kudzu has large compound leaves with three leaflets per leaf.  Each of the three leaflets is three to seven inches long and will often have lobes.  Flowers are generally present from June to September, and are two to 12 inch long bright purple clusters similar to pea flowers.  The fruit is present from September to January, and consists of flat, tan, hairy seed pods up to three inches long.  Each seed pod can have three to ten hard seeds.  The young vines are covered with fine yellowish hairs, and the older vines can get up to four inches in diameter.  The main method of spread for kudzu is through above ground runners, although it can also spread by seed.

More information on the control of kudzu can be found at http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pumo1.htm. You can also contact Eric Boyda of the Appalachian Ohio Weed Control Partnership by phone at 740-534-6578 or email at appalachianohioweeds@gmail.com.  Article by Stephanie Downs

Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative Webinar Series

The Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative webinar series has focused on invasive Phragmites in the Great Lakes region to encourage dialogue and technology transfer throughout the region. This series will include topics such as: Current research on Phragmites control, management techniques and case studies, monitoring and assessment protocols, mapping and tracking and regional management initiatives. Much of the information can help us understand phragmites management in southeast Ohio.

To access their past recordings, click on this link:

http://greatlakesphragmites.net/webinars-presentations/

IPC invasive plant webinar series archive

I wanted to direct everyone to a valuable series of previously recorded invasive plant webinars.  Content covered can be important to anyone, including private landowners, all the way up to regional managers of invasive plants.  Check it out if you have some time.  http://www.ipcwebsolutions.com/outreach.htm

Phenology update: Garlic Mustard

Garlic mustard – Alliaria petiolata; Basal rosettes have normally grown enough to be easily spotted now.  The garlic mustard in this photo is particularly robust.  Also notice the Johnson grass in the background, and ground ivy in the front.

new Aquatic Invaders guide – Crown of Continent

This guide wasn’t made for Ohio, but much of it is relavent.  Check out the section on plants, most of these threaten Ohio.

Jen McBride, an environmental science graduate student, created a pocket guide titled “Aquatic Invasive Species Threatening the Crown of the Continent.” The tool aims to help identify and prevent aquatic invasive species from invading the Crown region. Species included in the guide were selected by agency professionals based on proximity to the Crown, potential impacts of invasion and likelihood of introduction. The 116-page guide will be distributed to land managers and others. View it online.