Invasive Species Control

During the last few years, University of Minnesota Extension has led the City Nature Challenge using an awesome app, iNaturalist, to record urban nature in Minneapolis and St. Paul. During this weekend-long event, observant volunteers have found squill at concerning density in forested areas.

University of Minnesota Extension has developed By Land and By Sea: Identification Guide to Non-Native Species for Minnesota to offer an all-inclusive field guide for invasive and potentially problematic species. This new resource includes 86 species in seven major categories: Aquatic Animals, Birds, Insects, Worms, Aquatic/Wetland Plants, Herbaceous Plants, and Woody Plants. It clearly defines important terms including non-native, invasive, and weed, and provides important information about state law, as well as the best methods for reporting invasive species.

Join the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, Women and Their Woods graduates and guests, and Northern Tier Hardwoods Association in Lake Ariel, PA as we learn Chainsaw Safety with a Game of Logging instructor and invasive species management techniques with a landowner. Bring a camp/folding chair, a lunch, dress for the weather, and bring a gas-powered chainsaw if you have one.

by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

 

Did you know that it is National Invasive Species Awareness Week THIS WEEK? 

Spend a weekend connecting with other women landowners, learning woods skills taught by women for women, and enjoying leisure activities in Western Montana’s historic Nine Mile Valley!

APRIL 26-28, 2019
Begins at 5:30pm on Friday the 26th and concludes at 3pm on Sunday the 28th

Learn how to:

Join us for an action-packed day at Pine Tree Camp in Rome, Maine for a full program of engaging, hands-on classes for women woodland owners and outdoor enthusiasts!

by Maria Janowiak

An unwelcome present arrived under some Oregonian Christmas trees.

The Oregon Department of Forestry discovered that Christmas trees shipped to big box stores such as Walmart were infected by the elongate hemlock scale. This pest feeds on the underside of needles and leaves behind a waxy residue that diminishes the tree's health. If the scale spreads into the natural forest, it could have a devastating impact on fir, spruce, and iconic Douglas fir trees. 

Ponderosa pine forests of the Southwest are home to the native bark beetle. However, human influence, denser forests, and increased temperatures and drought events have led to recent bark beetle outbreaks that threaten the health of ponderosa stands. Where dead trees stand, fire can move as much as three times more rapidly, creating dangerous conditions for firefighters and residents. Restoration treatments can be used to help restore the balance needed in ponderosa pine ecosystems.

What do all these insects have in common? They were all brought to North America from Asia or Europe. These exotic insects have caused havoc in our forests because the trees they attack have developed little resistance to them. Our forests are filled with native insects that attack and sometimes kill trees, but because these insects evolved along with their hosts, they don’t cause complete mortality that non-native species can.

Buckthorn is the bane of many woodland owners. It turns out that buckthorn is starting to appear on the radar of soybean farmers as well (see post titled “What do buckthorn and soybean have in common?” for details).