Invasive Plant Expert To Address Newtown Forest Association On May 22

By Dottie Evans

Is the pesky bittersweet vine running rampant over your stone wall?

Have the cattails that once adorned the neighborhood pond given way to an impassable mat of invasive grasses and purple loosestrife?

The Newtown Forest Association (NFA) will hear from an expert on such problems caused by numerous species of invasive plants that move into disturbed areas. In fact, invasive plants are upsetting the natural order of things in the rapidly changing landscape of 21st Century Connecticut, and many horticulturalists are concerned with identifying them and controlling their spread.

Bryan Connolly, invasive plant survey coordinator for a New England group that is mapping their spread, will speak at the Newtown Forest Association annual meeting on Thursday, May 22, at 7:30 pm.

The presentation will be held at the Inn at Newtown on Main Street following the NFA annual business meeting and it is open to the public.

“This is a particularly relevant topic for anyone who cares about the natural environment in Connecticut,” said Wesley Gillingham, president of the Newtown Forest Association.

“We hope to see friends and neighbors throughout Newtown join us for our annual meeting, and to learn about the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England [IPANE],” Mr Gillingham said.

Mr Connolly is organizing a volunteer-run survey in cooperation with IPANE.

NFA Vice President Martha Wright said she hopes anyone interested in protecting open space and preserving the town’s beautiful natural resources will come.

“The character and landscape of Newtown is changing so quickly,” she added.

IPANE is a four-year multitask project providing data on 100 species for ecological studies. Habitats most likely to be invaded will be described and Mr Connolly will discuss mapping and current distribution of the invasive species.

He will also mention early detection of new incursions by species that are known to be invasive elsewhere, and he will indicate rare plant sites where there has been severe infestation of invasive species.

The IPANE project is looking to recruit 150 more volunteers to help conduct invasive plant surveys. The volunteers will be trained to collect information such as canopy cover, soil moisture, and associated plant communities. Volunteers will be assigned to work in town parks, state parks, land trust properties or other natural areas.

Business First

Prior to the presentation by Mr Connolly, the NFA will hold its annual business meeting. The agenda will include the report of officers and directors followed by a report of the past year’s activities, by-law changes, and plans for the upcoming year.

People interested in attending the May 22 annual meeting and presentation are requested to respond by email to NewtownForest@netscape.net. Hors d’oeuvres will be served following the meeting.

The IPANE project is a partnership of the New England Wild Flower Society, the University of Connecticut, and the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge. The project to research invasive plant species is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Questions should be directed to NFA Board Member CaraLeigh Wilson at 426-9902.