Invasive species workshop hosted in Fairbanks

October 20, 2016

The Alaska Invasive Species Workshop, Oct. 25-27 in Fairbanks, will focus on invasive species management and the effects of a warming environment.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service will host the workshop at Wedgewood Resort.

Extension invasive plants instructor Gino Graziano will give a public lecture beforehand, at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Noel Wien Library auditorium. “Nightmare in Fairbanks: Dealing with Bird Vetch” will cover how bird vetch spreads and how to control it. Graziano said bird vetch displaces beneficial plants and can affect the health of trees it climbs.

Workshop presentations will cover concerns about the relationship between climate change and invasive species in Alaska and the circumpolar Arctic. Several presentations will focus on elodea, a fast-growing aquatic plant that can reduce the quality of fish habitat and create difficulties for recreational boaters and for pilots landing on lakes. Other topics will include research, prevention and efforts to manage invasive species, including signal crayfish, northern pike and reed canarygrass.

The agenda and registration information are at www.alaskainvasives.org. The workshop was organized by the Alaska Committee for Noxious and Invasive Plant Management and the Alaska Invasive Species Working Group, informal groups composed of agencies and organizations statewide. For more information, contact Graziano at 907-786-6315.

ON THE WEB: www.alaskainvasives.org