Invasives in the News

Germinated water chestnut (Trapa natans) sprout intercepted at Lake Bomoseen in July 2019.

Vermont Greeter Program Successes for 2019

November 20, 2019

2019 Vermont Public Access Greeters successfully stop new infestations of aquatic invasive species from entering lakes and ponds throughout Vermont.

Volunteer Spotlight, 2019

October 18, 2019

It is hard to believe that the Forest Hero! Network is fast approaching its 1st birthday! To celebrate, we'd like to share with everyone, the good work that volunteers are completing in their communities. If you are working on a project and would like to help inspire others who may be seeking ideas, please write in and we'll share in future newsletters!

To learn more about the Network, and if you’d like to learn about other training opportunities, stay tuned to this website: https://vtinvasives.org/forest-hero-network

Spotlight: Amur Maple

September 26, 2019

Amur Maple, Acer ginnala, belongs to the Sapindaceae family , which now includes previous members of Aceraceae (maple family). It is native to northern China and Japan, and was introduced into North America in 1860. Beginning in the 1950s, Amur Maple was reported as “locally established”.

Toward a Land Ethic in Vermont

September 26, 2019

On a sunny evening in May, about 30 environmental practitioners from around Vermont gathered at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, where the snow had just about melted. As loons called on Big Hosmer Pond, and the worlds of natural resource regulation, conservation, and education clicked on outside, this group spent two days immersed in a concept that is at once head-smackingly simple and deceptively complex: a land ethic.

Vermont Youth Conservation Corps Harvests Aquatic Invasive

September 26, 2019

Water Chestnut is an annual aquatic plant that is invasive in Vermont. The water chestnut population has been managed by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VTDEC) since the early 1980s and, for the past few summers, crews from the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) have been supporting VTDEC’s hand-pulling efforts.

Managing Wild Parsnip

July 19, 2019

Vermonters know that our hot and humid summer weather has really settled in once our fields and roadsides start popping out in colorful blooms of chicory, Queen Anne’s lace, black-eyed Susan, orange hawkweed, and feral daylilies. It’s a beautiful time of year in our state, and it’s also a time of year when our songbirds start fattening up for their winter migration and our native pollinators begin to collect and store pollen and nectar for their young to feed on over the winter.

Spotlight: Japanese barberry

July 19, 2019

As we progress into summer heat waves and holiday vacations, many plants have flowered and started to go to seed. One invasive plant, Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), at this point in the season (July/August) will have seeds forming and ripening.

Emerald Ash Borer Update

July 8, 2019

There has been a new detection of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Derby Line, Vermont. This is the first confirmed detection in Orleans County.

Creating Young Forest while Managing for Invasive Species

June 5, 2019

Young Forest, the forest type that is dominated by dense shrubs and trees less than 20 years old, is an extremely important cover type for wildlife in Vermont. More than 60 wildlife species – including mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects – need young forest to survive.

Multiflora rose overgrowing a field and trees.

Watch List Species Highlight: Multiflora Rose

May 29, 2019

When recalling a drive down a dusty country road, you might remember seeing round green shrubs speckled with small white flowers, in otherwise empty grazing paddocks, or along farm fields. This plant is called multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) and is a perennial shrub within the Rose family, Rosaceae. The name, multiflora, means “many flowered”, and its nickname, “rambler rose” perhaps comes from its tendency to spread from cane or seed.

Learn How to Spot Oak Wilt

May 28, 2019

Although you might think we already have our fair share of forest health issues to deal with here, it’s time for Vermont to start thinking about yet another forest disease on the horizon – oak wilt. Oak wilt affects the vascular systems of oak trees and is caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum (formerly Ceratocystis fagacearum). Although there is still debate on whether this fungus occurs naturally here in North America or has been introduced from elsewhere, one thing not up for debate is that this fungus is a tree killer.

Vermont Native Plants vs. Invasive Plant Look-a-likes: Invasive Honeysuckles vs. native honeysuckles

March 14, 2019

Winter walks through the woods can reveal many things to us—the tracks of our wildlife neighbors, the contours of the landscape, and with a practiced eye, the overwintering branches of woody understory plants like honeysuckle.

Landowner Help through EQIP

March 14, 2019

Owning land can be hard work, and it can cost landowners a lot of money to properly manage land for forest health and quality wildlife habitat. To help relieve some of the financial burden of some land management activities, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers the cost-share Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for landowners throughout Vermont.

Young Writers Project- Invasive Species Challenge

January 24, 2019

The Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program is partnering with the Young Writers Project to raise awareness about emerald ash borer and its impact on Vermont forests and communities.

2018 Vermont Habitat Stamp Annual Report

January 17, 2019

The 2018 Vermont Habitat Stamp Annual Report, released earlier this winter, highlights the conservation power of the multiplier effect – where one action can be a catalyst for other actions and the effects keep radiating out. This past year, over $110,000 were raised from donations and were then used to leverage an additional $143,000 in federal funds. This created a total reserve of over $253,000 to be used for habitat conservation by the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife.