Invasive Aquatic Plant Workshop

NEW HAVEN — Volunteer lake monitors, watershed groups, lake associations, boat launch inspectors, scientists and others concerned about invasive aquatic weeds are invited to an invasive aquatic plant identification and management workshop.

Hosted by The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, the workshop will be on Saturday, June 23, from 10 am to noon.

The workshop also will feature information about managing invasive aquatic plants in lakes and ponds.

Aquatic plants are essential components of healthy ecosystems in freshwater lakes and ponds. Invasive plants, however, are non-native species, which are often harmful to the environment. Their ability to take advantage of their environment and reproduce quickly, usually unhindered by native pest and pathogens, allows invasive plants to displace native species. In fact, invasive species are the second leading cause of species extinction, and invasive plants and animals are responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses and control costs each year in the United States alone. Invasive aquatic plants also reduce aesthetic and recreational value of water bodies, which affects tourism and real estate values.

Since 2002, scientists at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station have been surveying Connecticut lakes and ponds for invasive aquatic plants and investigating various management options.

The workshop is appropriate for anyone interested in aquatic plants or aquatic environments and who would like to hear the latest research findings on invasive aquatic plant management. The program will begin with a general overview of CT Agriculture Experiment Station’s Invasive Aquatic Plant Program and will continue with information on invasive aquatic plant management.

The majority of the program will be devoted to learning how to identify invasive aquatic plants of Connecticut. There will be live specimens for participants to observe.

For more information and to resister for the workshop, call or e-mail Roslyn Selsky at 203-974-8545 or roslyn.selsky@po.state.ct.us.