Shelburne Open Space Committee Sponsors Invasive Plants Workshop

Invasive Plants: Green Thugs in Your Neighborhood
Saturday, May 22, 9am to 3pm, Shelburne Center, MA

What is an invasive plant, why are they harmful to our wildlife and landscape—especially in a warming world-- and what can you do? Come to this forum to learn how to identify our most common invasive plants and a couple of new invaders, their effect on our native species, birds and other wildlife, and specific steps you can take to help control them.

The Forum’s morning seminar will be a repeat of the well-received program that Trustees of Reservations’ Highlands Communities Initiative (HCI) hosted in Cummington last year. This year, HCI is teaming up to with Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife and the Shelburne Open Space Committee to hold the Shelburne workshop, with many organization and agencies cosponsoring.

The Forum will feature presentations by:
-- Julie Richburg, Regional Ecologist with The Trustees of Reservations;
-- Heather Cupo, Horticulturist with Plant Euphoria;
-- Chris Polatin, Habitat Restoration Specialist with Polatin Ecological Services, LLC;
-- Cynthia Boettner, Invasive Plant Control Initiative Coordinator with Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.

Focal species will include the common invaders multiflora rose, Oriental bittersweet, Japanese knotweed, garlic mustard, glossy buckthorn and Japanese barberry. Japanese stiltgrass and mile-a-minute vine, two new invaders that are critical to control before they become established, will also be featured. Identification and best methods of control, including mechanical and chemical techniques will be covered. The morning seminar will be followed by a BYO lunchtime information sharing and browsing multiple cosponsor displays. An afternoon session will give you a chance to see garlic mustard in person and learn how to identify this relatively new invader that can impede the regeneration of tree species in our woodlands. Those wishing to spend an hour of garlic mustard pulling will be welcomed (bring gloves). Other hands-on workshops during the summer will also be offered, including one on Japanese stiltgrass which is invading Conway.

Location: In Shelburne Center at Fellowship Hall of the First Congregational Church; just off Mohawk Trail (Rt. 2) on Little Mohawk Rd. (on the right side). Free, but donations welcomed.

Schedule: 8:30--Registration;
9am - 12pm --Morning seminar;
Noon-1:00pm--Lunchtime roundtable discussions, displays and handouts;
1 – 3 pm-- Afternoon session--outdoor ID and garlic mustard pulling

Bring your own lunch. Light refreshments will be provided at registration and at lunch.

For more information or to register, call 413.268.8219 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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