Keene Valley, NY- The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) is hosting a free webinar on how climate change could make the Adirondacks more hospitable to invasive species. “Invasive Species in a Changing Climate” is scheduled for 10-11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20. The webinar will begin with an overview of what makes a species invasive before diving into how longer summers and shorter, milder winters in the Adirondacks are likely to make the region more favorable to invasive species. The impact of climate change on managing invasive species and an overview of which invasive species tend to benefit the most from climate change will also be discussed.
Posts Tagged ‘Invasive Species’
Volunteers welcome to join the 8th Annual Invasive Species Mapping Challenge
Through the month of July, the NY Natural Heritage Program is hosting the 8th Annual Invasive Species Mapping Challenge. Volunteers and professionals are joining forces to gather data on invasive species, providing conservation managers with the information they need to protect our natural resources. This year, the target species are Beech Leaf Disease, tree-of-heaven, jumping worm, and three aquatic invasive plants – water chestnut, European frogbit, and watercress.
New York’s 10th annual Invasive Species Awareness Week begins June 5
On June 2, the New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Agriculture and Markets (AGM) announced the State’s 10th annual Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW) begins Monday, June 5. Free events and invasive species challenges are offered from June 5 through 11 across the state and online, including daily webinars at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program announces free summer education series
Keene Valley – The Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) is gearing up for a summer of diverse educational programs on the importance of reporting, managing and preventing the spread of invasive species by offering a free summer education series. On June 9, APIPP will celebrate New York’s Invasive Species Awareness Week with two programs, one field trip and one webinar.
Field Training for Invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid set for March 11
Bolton Landing, NY – The public is invited to attend a hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) field survey training on Saturday, March 11, from 10 am to noon, at Hearthstone Point Campground in Lake George.
Program leaders will give an overview of winter outing safety skills, while teaching how to identify hemlock trees, survey for hemlock woolly adelgid, and report findings using iMapInvasives.
APIPP: Forest Pest Hunters training webinar set for Jan. 24
ADIRONDACKS – Forest Pest Hunter volunteer Bill Widrig has reported more than 300 forest pest survey observations, and he isn’t done yet. Widrig was among the first to join the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program’s Forest Pest Hunters effort when it began in 2021.
“Our property on the lake has old growth hemlock, some over 200 years old, that are very special to us,” Widrig said. “As hemlock woolly adelgid is a threat to these trees and all other hemlocks in the Northeast, I felt that I could not in good conscience just stand by and do nothing to help stop the spread of this pest.”
DEC Finds New Exotic Pest Affecting Elm Trees in St. Lawrence County
On September 26, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced that the elm zigzag sawfly (Aproceros leucopoda) was detected for the first time in New York State at three locations in St. Lawrence County, including Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area, Brasher State Forest, and Lost Nation State Forest. This exotic pest feeds exclusively on elm trees and can cause severe defoliation, branch dieback, and crown thinning. Although the sawfly has not yet been shown to cause tree mortality, repeated defoliation by established sawfly populations would put added stress on native elm trees already heavily impacted by Dutch elm disease.
Remember to Use Local Firewood When Camping
Many people like to take firewood from their homes before traveling to a campsite. Invasive pests like the emerald ash borer or Asian long-horned beetle often hitch a ride to new areas in untreated wood. As a result, transport of untreated wood across the state has caused outbreaks of these damaging pests.
New York Invasive Species Awareness Week is June 6 -12
The mission of the New York Invasive Species Awareness Week (NYISAW) is to promote knowledge and understanding of invasive species and the harm they can cause. We want to empower YOU to stop the spread of invasive species!
Organizations across all of New York State are offering a variety of engaging events, such as interpretive hikes, volunteer days, webinars, movie screenings, and fun family activities!
By participating in NYISAW, you can help protect your community’s natural spaces, learn about new invasive species, meet your neighbors, get outdoors, and even win prizes!
Lake George groups at odds over milfoil plan
The Lake George Association last week made good on its promise to explore all options for blocking the planned use of an aquatic herbicide on Lake George.
The nation’s oldest lake association – along with Lake George Waterkeeper Chris Navitsky, the Town of Hague and a shoreline resident – sued Thursday to stop the herbicide plan. In its petition, the association took aim at the process that led to permit approvals by the Department of Environmental Conservation and Adirondack Park Agency, arguing the agencies failed to consider important concerns raised by the public. The suit accuses the state agencies of “behind the scenes decision-making” to rush the plan to approval.
Town of Hague opposes use of milfoil herbicide in Lake George
The Lake George Park Commission (LGPC) applied for and was granted on April 14 a permit from the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) to put the herbicide ProcellaCOR into Lake George at two pilot sites: Blair’s Bay in Glen Burnie and Sheep Meadow Bay in Hulett’s Landing. Although both sites are located on the east side of the lake, they are part of the Town of Hague, whose boundaries extend to the eastern shoreline.
How to Scrape Spongy Moth Eggs
Have you noticed spongy moth egg masses in your neighborhood? Last year was a boom year for spongy moth (formerly known as gypsy moth) caterpillar populations, especially in Central and Western NY. Egg masses contain 600-700 eggs each and will hatch around May. If you find them now, you can scrape them off trees or buildings and drop them into a container of detergent to prevent the eggs from hatching.
Spongy moths are non-native, but are naturalized, meaning they will always be around in our forests. They tend to spike in numbers roughly every 10-15 years but outbreaks are usually ended by natural causes such as predators and disease. Removing their egg masses is not a cure for spongy moth infestations, but it is a small step you can take to help protect trees in your neighborhood. To learn more about this species and management efforts throughout the year, visit our website.
Pictured: spongy moth egg masses on a tree
Calling on New York State Leaders to Protect Lake Champlain from Invasive Species
By Peg Olsen
Here in the Adirondack region, we know how special Lake Champlain is. It provides year-round recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike and drives our local economies. It hosts some of the best fishing in the nation and is home to an abundance of wildlife. Lake Champlain provides so much to our communities, and now we need the state to step up and protect it.
Invasive species outcompete native wildlife and cause severe harm to our ecosystems and our economies. Their proliferation can lead to the extinction of native plants and animals and threaten our way of life.
Lake Champlain is facing that threat now, with the looming introduction of invasive round goby. Round goby is a small fish species native to southeastern Europe that arrived in the Great Lakes 31 years ago in a ship’s untreated ballast water. Round gobies aggressively outcompete native fish for habitat and feed on their eggs and young, harming native fisheries and local businesses.
Learn to identify forest pests
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.
More information and a link to register can be found on APIPP’s website.
Controlling an Invasive Plant Without Herbicides
Invasive species are plants, animals, fungi, or microorganisms that spread rapidly and cause harm to other species. They are introduced species that can thrive in areas beyond their natural range of dispersal.