Tag Archive for "Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program"

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ADIRONDACKS —The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) and its partners have charted a course for the next five years. The “Adirondack Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) Strategic Plan 2023–2027” outlines how APIPP and its partners will minimize the impact of invasive species on the Adirondack region’s communities, lands and waters.

“The 2023-2027 Strategic Plan highlights some of the innovative ways PRISM partners build knowledgeable and engaged Adirondack communities that are empowered to act,” said Peg Olsen, Adirondack Chapter Director of The Nature Conservancy. “The Nature Conservancy and APIPP share a vision for an Adirondack region where the diversity of life thrives, and our lands and waters are protected for future generations. As the climate continues to change and exacerbate the spread and impact of invasive species, APIPP’s foundational work as a leader in invasive species prevention, eradication and management, and as a convener of more than 30 diverse regional partners, is even more vital.”

Monday, October 10, 2022

Invasive Species at Our Door: Adirondack Invasive Species Summit set for Oct. 19

BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE—A summit to address two invasive species that are a threat to the Adirondacks will include a discussion on new research that shows a link between hydrilla and the death of eagles in the Southeastern United States. The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program will host a free symposium, “Invasive Species at our Door: Adirondack Invasive Species Summit,” from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at Adirondack Experience, the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake. The event will cover two species that could dramatically impact Adirondack forests and freshwater ecosystems: hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), a forest pest, and hydrilla, an aquatic invasive plant.

Monday, September 12, 2022

Free Webinar “Forest Pest Hunters: Surveying for Beech Leaf Disease” Scheduled for Sept. 15

ADIRONDACKS—Beech leaf disease is in the Adirondacks, and scientists need help gathering data on the newly emerging forest pest. To teach community scientists how to identify and report beech leaf disease, the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program will host a free webinar from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15, called “Forest Pest Hunters: Surveying for Beech Leaf Disease.”

Beech leaf disease was first detected in Ohio in 2012 and in New York state in 2018. In 2022, the state Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed the presence of beech leaf disease in over 30 counties in New York including Herkimer County, the first documented infestation in the Adirondack region. Beech leaf disease can kill mature beech trees in six to 10 years, while young trees can be killed in as little as two to three years.

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Free virtual webinar “Backyard Invasives” set for July 20

ADIRONDACKS – Anyone can help prevent the spread of invasive species, even without leaving their yard. That’s the gist of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program’s free webinar “Backyard
Invasives—Identification and Management of Terrestrial Invasive Species,” which will run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 20.

“A lot of invasive species tend to grow on forest edges and roadsides, and some get planted intentionally, making people’s yards an ideal habitat,” said APPIP Terrestrial Invasive Species Coordinator Becca Bernacki.

Invasive species are plants, insects, fish and other animals that are not native to a region and cause ecological, economic or human health harm. They can reproduce quickly, outcompete native vegetation and are often spread by human activity.

Yards not only provide a welcoming habitat for invasives, they’re also heavily traveled upon, which increases the opportunity for plants and seeds to be unintentionally relocated. Mowing and landscaping are two ways unwanted plants can be spread. And while it isn’t easy to control the spread of invasive species, understanding how to identify and manage them are things anyone can do.

Saturday, June 25, 2022

Lake Protectors Volunteer Training Scheduled for June 28

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The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) is inviting volunteers to join its Lake Protectors program and is kicking off summer with its first (of three) Lake Protectors training sessions from 9-11:30 a.m. on June 28.

“Being a Lake Protector is fun, easy and a great way to help Adirondack lakes,” said Brian Greene, APIPP’s Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator.

Since the program’s inception in 2002, hundreds of volunteer Lake Protectors have surveyed more than 460 lakes in the Adirondacks, of which more than 75-percent do not have invasive species present.

Participation in the program is simple. After taking a training course, every volunteer is encouraged to adopt a waterbody of their choice and commit to surveying that pond or lake at least once during the summer. Many Lake Protectors, like Saranac Lake author Caperton Tissot, view the program as a way to spend time on a favorite waterbody while also helping to protect it from the threat of invasive species. Tissot has been a volunteer Lake Protector since 2009. In an interview last summer, she said her favorite place to survey is Barnum Pond in Paul Smiths because there are no buildings nearby, she rarely sees another boat and the shoreline varies from rocky outcrops to forests and bogs.

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Adirondack area organizations welcome new hires

Adirondack-area establishments including Pendragon Theatre, Adirondack Land Trust, Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute, Adirondack Mountain Club, and Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program recently welcomed new staff members.

Monday, June 6, 2022

Saranac Lake: Community events set for Invasive Species Awareness Week, June 6-12

New York’s Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW) is Monday, June 6 through Sunday, June 12, with several community events planned in Saranac Lake.

ISAW is a statewide effort to promote public understanding of invasive species and increase knowledge on the impacts they have on our waterbodies and woodlands. Local events will take place on June 6 and 8 and are co-sponsored by the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) and The Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP).

“Our Adirondack waterways, forests, and farmlands are important for recreation, economic sustainability, and basic ecosystem functions,” said AWI Deputy Director Zoë Smith. “The annual Invasive Species Awareness Week is a chance for people learn about protecting our beloved lakes, rivers and forests from invasive species that threaten our environment and cause irreparable harm.”

Monday, June 6, 2022

Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species film screening set for June 8

A viewing of the film, Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species, will be hosted at the Hotel Saranac on Wednesday, June 8^th at 6:30 p.m. The Great Hall Bar will be open and experts will be on hand to introduce the film and discuss local actions.

Co-sponsored by Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute and the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, and developed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the documentary is a professionally produced 60-minute film about the threat invasive species pose to food systems, water, public health, and ecosystems in New York State. See the trailer.

The event is part of New York’s Invasive Species Awareness Week, June 6-12. For more information, visit adkwatershed.org and adkinvasives.com.

Photo at top provided by Zoë Smith, Deputy Director for Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute.

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Gardening with native plants workshop

Get a Jump on Spring Garden Planning with APIPP’s Webinar, Native Plants for Adirondack Landscapes

As the snow melts and red-winged blackbirds arrive, it is time to think spring gardens! And you can support wildlife and help keep invasive species out of the Adirondacks by planting native gardens. Join the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) on Wednesday, April 6 at 10 am for a free webinar to learn how to design beautiful landscapes using native plants.

Friday, March 18, 2022

Keeping up with invasives: The gypsy moth gets a new name

by Tim Rowland

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March is filled with days that feel like spring, even if they don’t feel like spring. The angle of the light, the birds and buds, and the blue, silviculture IV’s running from maple to maple all suggest a mood that the temperatures do not.

As we hardy, resilient outdoor types watch the calendar shift from complaining-about-ice season to complaining-about-mud season, there are bound to be some cold, sopping wet days where we just look out the window and think — no.

But there were other things to do this week, thanks to the Adirondack Garden Club, which was hosting Becca Bernacki of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, who was speaking on a quinella of insects that have the potential to do great harm in the forest, and how we can do our part to stop them.

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Learn to identify forest pests

More information and a link to register can be found on APIPP’s website.

Online Training: Adirondack Forest Pest Hunters – Surveying for HWA (Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program – Wednesday, February 16 from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

You can help protect the Adirondacks by surveying for invasive hemlock woolly adelgid. This training will cover basic identification, survey techniques, and how to sign up for a trail to survey.

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Invasives roundup

by Zachary Matson

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The late fall and early winter is a time of winding down in the Adirondacks, and that’s the case for the many programs combating invasive species across the park.

Earlier this month a group of around 40 representatives from government, nonprofits and local associations and private individuals hopped on a Zoom meeting to rehash a season of anti-invasive programs. This gathering of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program — a multi-agency/public-private partnership that coordinates parkwide efforts to combat invasive plant species — was a helpful briefing on the latest in Adirondacks invasives.

Sunday, July 18, 2021

Free “Trees in Trouble” Talk on July 21 via Zoom

Invasive forest insects and diseases are one of the most severe and urgent threats to the health of Adirondack forests. The first occurrence of emerald ash borer in the Adirondack Park was identified in July 2020. Just a few weeks later the first major infestation of hemlock woolly adelgid in the region was discovered. These two forest pests have the potential to significantly alter the forested landscape of the Adirondacks. In addition, several other damaging pests and diseases are present in other regions of the state and could migrate to the Adirondacks.

Monday, June 28, 2021

Become a lake protector through Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program

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Aquatic invasive species, such as Eurasian watermilfoil and zebra mussels, can clog lakes, outcompete native wildlife, and harm ecosystems. Identifying these species early, before populations grow out of control, is essential for protecting the lakes we love from the negative impacts of invasive species. The state legislature recently passed a law that makes the New York State Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Act permanent and allows pilot programs in the Adirondacks to further efforts to prevent invasive species. You can do your part by always cleaning, draining and drying your boat, fishing gear and sports equipment when moving from one waterbody to another.

And as an Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) Lake Protector, you can do more! Citizen scientists have surveyed over 400 lakes throughout the Adirondacks for invasives species in order to support critical early detection efforts. Lake Protector volunteers will learn how to identify, survey and record data about aquatic invasive plants. Once trained, volunteers can adopt an Adirondack lake or other waterbody to survey between July and September. APIPP provides all the training and resources you need to be part of this extraordinary network.

Sunday, April 4, 2021

Forest Pest Symposium will Highlight Bad Bugs

by Caitlin Stewart

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The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District (District) will host a Forest Pest Symposium to highlight bad bugs that are invasive to the Adirondacks on April 22, 8:30 AM – 1:15 PM. Landowners, supervisors, and outdoor enthusiasts are encouraged to attend, and will learn identification, impacts, and how partners are slowing the spread of emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid, and spotted lanternfly.

Experts will share their work, success stories, and detail simple steps that anyone can take to combat emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid, and spotted lanternfly. These invasive insects threaten the Adirondacks’ natural resources and tourism industry. Early detection and rapid response are crucial to stopping the spread of these invaders that can harm forests, stream corridors, hiking trails, and agriculture.