SEWISC offers invasive plant management techniques course

The Southeastern Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium hosts an invasive plant management techniques course, designed to teach the most appropriate, efficient, up-to-date and least environmentally damaging methods to control invasive species.

The hands-on class features an introduction to the general ecology of the five functional groups of invasive plants (shrubs, perennial forbs, clonal perennials, grasses, and annuals/biennials), and discusses and demonstrates all applicable control methods — both chemical and non-chemical — for these five plant types.

Topics will also include the identification of common and relatively new invaders; planning and strategy for an effective control program; the use of hand tools and herbicide application methods; herbicide concentrations, mixing, and safety; restoration strategies for badly infested sites; and record keeping.  Several handouts and reference materials will also be provided. The course is instructed by plant ecologist and evolutionary biologist Dr. James Reinartz, director, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Field Station.

The course will be held Saturday, Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Field Station, 3095 Blue Goose Rd., in Saukville, Wis. The workshop fee is $60, with a discounted fee of $45 offered to SEWISC members.

For more information, visit sewisc.org.