Invasive plants symposium scheduled for Oct. 1

A symposium on invasive plants will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 1, in the Rome Ballroom, from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m.

The event, Cherish Our Natural Heritage: Managing Invasives to Promote Native Diversity, will celebrate native plants, animals, and ecosystems of Connecticut; describe threats posed by invasive species; and provide tools for managing invasive plants.

The keynote address, “A Case for Native Plants,” will be given by Professor Doug Tallamy, chair of the University of Delaware Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, and author of Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens.

Additional morning presentations will highlight new invasive plants, legislative updates, and weed management areas. Afternoon topics include organic control, Connecticut’s invaded woodlands, aquatic invasive plants, invasive plant management projects, managing native grassland habitats, and non-plant invaders.

The event is open to the public. Registration is $55 including lunch, or $25 for students with ID. Pre-registration (post-marked by Sept. 24) is recommended. Visit the web site to see if there is room for walk-ins (lunch is not guaranteed).

For more information, go to www.hort.uconn.edu/cipwg or call 860-486-6448.

The symposium is presented by the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group, and funded in part by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.

The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group is a consortium of individuals, organizations, and agencies concerned with invasive species issues.

Co-chairs are Donna Ellis, senior cooperative extension educator-in-residence in the Department of Plant Science, and Les Mehrhoff, a research associate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.