Identifying, Treating, and Reporting Invasive Terrestrial Plants

When:
June 6, 2018 @ 9:00 am – June 7, 2018 @ 12:00 pm
2018-06-06T09:00:00-05:00
2018-06-07T12:00:00-05:00
Contact:
Wendy Thiede
715-476-2881

Fe University offers free class: Identifying, Treating, and Reporting Invasive Terrestrial Plants
Most Wisconsinites are familiar with the damage aquatic invasive species like Eurasian water milfoil, curly pond weed, and zebra mussels can do to our waters. But less attention has been paid to the terrestrial invasive species threatening our native plants and animals. Unfortunately, garlic mustard, wild parsnip, and Japanese knotweed have made their entrance into the north woods. Fe University will host a 2-day class on Identifying, Treating, and Reporting Invasive Terrestrial Plants on Wednesday and Thursday, June 6th and 7th from 9 AM to noon in Mercer. A team of instructors, including Ramona Shackleford, Anne Pearce, and Zach Wilson will lead the class.
Students will learn about the negative impacts of invasive plants and about the organizations in the county and state that treat and monitor invasive species. How to identify, treat and report the most damaging species in the area will be discussed. The second day of class will take place in three different field sites in Iron County where different invasive plants have been identified. The final stop will be at the Little Turtle Flowage management area for lunch.
Students taking this class should be interested in learning about invasive species and how they can be treated. The second day will consist of field work including identifying and pulling up invasive plants. Students may be asked to carpool. They should dress for the weather and be able to walk short distances and bend. They will need to bring work gloves, water and lunch.
The course is organized by Ramona Shackleford, the coordinator for Northwoods Cooperative Weed Management Area. She has a B.S. degree in zoology from U.W. Madison and a MS degree in Biological Sciences-Plant Ecology from UW Milwaukee. Zach Wilson is the conservation specialist for the Iron County Land and Water Conservation Department. Anne Pearce is the Wisconsin First Detector Network’s coordinator in Madison. She has a B.S. in Soil Science and a M.S. in Water Resource Management from U.W Madison.
The tentative location for the June 6th session is the Mercer Library, 2648 Margaret St., Mercer. However, depending on the number of students, that could change to a different Mercer location.
Please visit the Fe University website, www.feuniversity.org for more detailed information about this class, (Use a browser other than Google Chrome) or call 715-476-2881 or 715-561-3098. The Fe University committee recognizes the importance of this class for protecting the north woods, so there will be no fee. However, students must register in advance, as space is limited. Registration forms may be downloaded from the website or picked up at the Mercer Library or the UW Iron County Extension Office at the courthouse in Hurley. Completed forms should be mailed to Fe University, PO Box 63, Hurley, WI 54534 or dropped off at the above locations.
Fe University is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) non-accredited “college” targeted to seniors over 50 but available to anyone over 18, as well. Programs are partially funded by the Gogebic Range Health Foundation.