February 01, 2024
From now until summer, the NotMISpecies webinar series is devoting (most of) its time to showcasing the results of important work by Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program grantees. Projects include outreach in classrooms and by the boating industry and new research on controlling European frog-bit and invasive knotweeds.
The series also features an update on efforts to control invasive hydrilla, detected for the first time in Michigan in 2023.
Since 2014, the program – a joint effort of the Michigan departments of Natural Resources; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Agriculture and Rural Development – has awarded at least $3.6 million per year to prevent, detect, eradicate and control terrestrial and aquatic invasive species.
Grants support regional and statewide outreach, survey and control efforts and research to improve detection and management of new and established invasive species.
European frog-bit was first detected in southeast Michigan in 1996 and has since spread along the coastal areas of lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan and to some inland lakes. Kevin Kapuscinski, associate professor and assistant director of research at Lake Superior State University's Center for Freshwater Research and Education, has been studying the aquatic invasive plant and its effects on native ecosystems and water quality since 2019. In “What’s the Damage? Ecology and Effects of Invasive European Frog-bit in the St. Marys River” (9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7), he will share what’s been learned about plant reproduction, removal efforts and impacts based on research in the St. Marys River in the Upper Peninsula.
Invasive knotweeds are a growing problem throughout Michigan. In the Upper Peninsula, a collaborative effort is underway to find the best methods for detecting and managing these aggressive plants. In “Untangling the Knot: Identifying Effective Detection and Treatment Regimens for Invasive Knotweeds” (9 a.m. Thursday, April 11) Dorthea Vander Bilt of Michigan Tech Research Institute at Michigan Technological University, Sigrid Resh of the Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area and MTU, and Matt Watkeys of Alger Conservation District will share the results of their recent research. The team studied various chemical, manual and integrated control methods on Japanese, Bohemian and giant knotweed species and employed remote sensing to detect and prioritize knotweed populations across the landscape.
If you’re looking for a successful model for infusing invasive species education into the classroom, Lake Superior State University’s Beth Christiansen has one. For the last three years, she’s been bringing together students, teachers, natural resource mentors and staff from LSSU’s Center for Freshwater Research and Education to conduct hands-on research into local invasive species issues. In “Invading Classrooms: Empowering Students to Take Action on Invasive Species” (9 a.m. Tuesday, June 25) Christiansen will share the story of how collaboration has fostered local, student-led stewardship projects to raise awareness and inspire action in communities across northern Michigan.
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