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Invasive Species Network News
We say this every December, but what a busy year! With twice as much staff, ISN was able to accomplish so much in the world of invasive species management. Combined efforts in treatment and education helped us tackle some large plant infestations and reach more people than ever. Take a look at some of our impressive numbers below. Continue reading or
visit our website to see the complete annual report.
- Surveyed over 1,600 acres of high quality habitat for Top 20 Invasive Species
- Also: 197 miles of road, 30 miles of shoreline, and 60 miles of river
- Treated over 600 acres of high-priority invasive species at over 250 sites
- Coordinated 12 workbees and 15 other events
- Engaged over 200 volunteers for more than 500 volunteer hours
- Contacted over 2,200 people directly and more than 680,000 others indirectly
- 41 presentations, 27 events, and 2 partner meetings
- Plus smaller meetings, social media, and press work
- 4 early detection and response efforts
- 1 mistaken giant hogweed, 1 true giant hogweed (treated), 1 true black jetbead, and 1 mistaken hydrilla
- Dozens of responses to mistaken reports handled over the phone or by email
None of the above would have been possible without active community member volunteers and the constant support of our
many partners. We look forward to another great year and hope you will join us at some of our events and workbees! Read on below for some "save the dates" and
contact ISN at anytime to learn more about volunteer opportunities.
It is also bittersweet to announce that Outreach Assistant, Miriam Owsley, will be leaving ISN and joining another great organization in Traverse City. She has been an invaluable resource this year and we will miss her but congratulate her on this new opportunity! That being said, ISN will be hiring her replacement (hopefully in a full-time capacity) soon. Read on below for more information.
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Invasive Plants Dye Woodpeckers Red
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Escaping Ornamentals: A Threat to Natural Area Biodiversity
Read the article by ISN Outreach Assistant, Miriam Owsley,
here.
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10 Weird Ways You Could Be Spreading Invasive Species
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Visit our facebook page to see some of our favorite photos
from 2016
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Volunteer Opportunities
and Events
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Mark your calendars for next year's garlic mustard workbees!
Manistee - Friday, May 12
Grand Traverse - Saturday, May 13
Benzie - Friday, May 19
Leelanau - Saturday, May 20
Stay tuned as our partners work to plan their events for 2017.
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ISN Employment Opportunities
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ISN will be hiring soon!
Keep an eye out for the following jobs which will be posted soon:
Communication Specialist
(part- or full-time, grant dependent)
Expected posting date: Late December
The Communication Specialist works with the Coordinator and Outreach Specialist to implement the two-year Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program grants, which fund the position. Primary responsibilities include engaging municipalities in invasive species ordinances and treatments and assisting with outreach. (Additional outreach projects include the Go Beyond Beauty program, newsletters, public volunteer events, etc.)
Survey Technician
(Seasonal)
Expected posting date: February 2017
Crew Leader/Members
(Seasonal)
Expected posting date: February 2017
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The Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network
Annual Report
Another year of
protecting, enhancing, and promoting northwest Michigan's natural communities through terrestrial invasive plant management and outreach
in Benzie, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, and Manistee counties has come to a close, and ISN workers and volunteers have been quite the busy bees!
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Volunteers pull garlic mustard at Clay Cliffs Natural Area (Leelanau County)
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In addition to continued funding through the first Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program (MISGP) cycle, ISN was awarded additional financing through the EPA (Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, GLRI) and US Forest Service, as well as a second grant from MISGP. Together, these grants allowed ISN to focus on growing Go Beyond Beauty and target source populations of high-priority invasive plants in addition to continuing ISN's ongoing work.
The EPA GLRI grant is focused on outreach and education, specifically highlighting ISN's groundbreaking Go Beyond Beauty program to voluntarily remove invasive ornamental plants from trade. ISN is now able to offer more resources than ever before to assist businesses, and more changes are in the works; stay tuned! We're already seeing success: since October 2015, 2 new businesses have joined the program. Check out which businesses have made this awesome commitment on our website:
www.HabitatMatters.org/Go-Beyond-Beauty/
A survey crew was also funded, allowing ISN to look for invasives in a massive amount of the four counties' area.
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ISN crew treats Japanese knotweed on Veteran Oak Grove Drive (Manistee County)
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The grants from MISGP and the US Forest Service combined to allow ISN to tackle some otherwise insurmountable obstacles: the Japanese knotweed on roadsides-especially Veterans Oak Grove Drive-in the City of Manistee, baby's breath near Elberta Beach, and the invasive Phragmites in Betsie Bay, Arcadia Marsh, and Manistee Lake. In 2016, ISN focused on obtaining permission to treat these species on public and private lands, with our first big push of treatments taking place in August, and continuing through the fall. In 2017, we'll be able to hit the ground running with treatments, and add restoration work (planting native plants in high-risk areas) to our to-do list.
In addition to these special projects, ISN's "normal" work continued. Outreach and education efforts in our four counties progressed, with numerous presentations, workbees, workshops, and media interviews. A "check-out" crew targeted ISN's Top 20 Species (http://habitatmatters.org/challenges/top-invasive-species/) for treatment, working side-by-side with partners and private landowners.
Our grant success has allowed us to bring two new members on to the ISN team: Fields Ratliff, our Habitat Management Specialist, and Miriam Owsley, our Outreach Assistant. Fields is from Antrim County, where he now lives with his family of four, and has an extensive background in on-the-ground invasive species management; at work he's focused on treatments and field work. Miriam, hailing from Leelanau County, has experience in marketing, outreach, and public involvement and education in Freshwater Studies focusing on policy; she's been presenting to municipalities, assisting with Go Beyond Beauty, and assisting with permissions and behind-the-scenes work. We're excited to have Fields and Miriam, and all the expertise and enthusiasm they bring, on the ISN team.
If you have questions, want to get involved, or wish to schedule an engaging presentation to an interested group (school group, garden club, interest group, local government, or other) contact Katie Grzesiak at
[email protected]
or (231) 941-0960 x29 or visit
HabitatMatters.org
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We've been hard at work beautifying
Go Beyond Beauty!
New branding, new resources, and revamped
participant
benefits are in the works!
In exchange for their pledge to not sell high-threat invasive plants, participants receive a wide variety of benefits, including a beautiful participant sign to display at your business with pride, staff
training
and educational resources for your customers and clients, and free online advertising. We want to reward you for joining the Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network in protecting Michigan's natural beauty!
Register Today!
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