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.
Posts Tagged ‘Invasive Species Awareness Week’
Discussion time: Boat inspections
This week is NYS’s 8th annual Invasive Species Awareness Week and we’ve got aquatic invasives on our mind. In light of the current law expiring, here’s an excerpt from Explorer reporter Gwen Craig’s recent story:
“The old law in question requires boaters recreating in the Adirondack Park to take reasonable precautions against spreading aquatic invasive species like Eurasian watermilfoil and zebra mussels. Boats should be cleaned, drained and dried to prevent spreading any unwanted hitchhikers. The Adirondack Park is home to more than 3,000 lakes, 8,000 ponds and 1,500 miles of rivers. With more than 12 million visitors each year, the threat of a new invasive species introduction is always looming.”
What are your thoughts about best ways to keep our waterways safe from invasives? Should the state require — and enforce — boat inspections? Or is the current system working well enough?
Photo provided, Connor Vara/Adirondack Watershed Institute. AWI stewards recently finished a 2-week training at Paul Smith’s College to learn techniques for implementing Clean, Drain and Dry at area boat launches.
A deeper dive into aquatic invasives
Although Invasive Species Awareness Week has wrapped up for this year, the work to combat the spread of aquatic invasives in our Adirondack lakes, ponds and other bodies of water is ongoing.
Here’s a recap of some recent coverage:
Adirondack Explorer’s policy reporter Gwen Craig discusses efforts to fight the spread of aquatic invasives in this recent Capital Pressroom interview: http://www.wcny.org/june-11-2020-adirondacks-prepare-for-next-bout-with-invasive-species/
Combating Brazilian eloda and other invasives: ADK offers ways to get involved
In recognition of Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW) — which wraps up today — the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) has this profile about Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa):
Also known as Brazilian Waterweed, Brazilian Elodea is a popular aquarium and water garden plant that is often sold under the generic name “Anacharis.” A submerged invasive perennial plant that looks very similar to some native species, Brazilian elodea is characterized by its bright green coloration and minutely serrated leaves that are 1-3 centimeters long and up to 5 millimeters wide. Brazilian elodea has four (sometimes eight) leaves per whorl; whereas hydrilla, another invasive species, has five leaves per whorl; and the native American elodea waterweed, has only three.
Brazilian elodea also has small white flowers in the spring and fall. The flowers have three petals and either float on the water or above the surface on threadlike stems. Only male flowers have been found in North America so far, so seed production does not occur in its introduced range.
Invasive Species Awareness Week starts today
The week of June 7-13 is Invasive Species Awareness Week.
According to information from the NYS DEC, an invasive species is a non-native species that causes harm to the ecosystem they have invaded (including harm to the economy and human health). Called “Invasives” for short, they can come from as close as a few states away, or from the other side of the world. They are sometimes purposely introduced in order to create huntable or viewable populations, or as business enterprises. Sometimes they are accidentally introduced from something as innocent as the bottom of your shoe, forgetting to clean off your boat after a long trip, or from over-seas shipping crates and boat ballasts.
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