Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Be trained in identifying and reporting invasive species at National Lakeshore June 11

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Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, in partnership with the Indiana Coastal Invasive Plant Network, will be premiering a new opportunity to adopt trails and help keep invasive species from eroding park biodiversity at a hands-on training event, from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 11, at the Douglas Center, 100 N Lake St. in the Miller section of Gary.

Early detection and control efforts can be one of the most effective ways of keeping invasive species from gaining a foothold in the National Lakeshore and other managed natural areas in Northwest Indiana. During the event, participants will learn how to identify the most threatening invasives in the region, where they’re most likely to be found, and how to report them, once found, to www.eddmaps.org/Indiana or via a smartphone using the free Great Lakes Early Detection Network application.

All attendees will receive a free set of laminated cards that can be used for species identification in the field. Participants will also learn which National Lakeshore Trails can be adopted and what is required of volunteers involved in that effort.

The Indiana Coastal Invasive Plant Network was recently launched to help call public attention to the area’s invasive species and their impacts Organizations involved include the National Lakeshore, The Nature Conservancy, Save the Dunes, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve, and the Wildlife Habitat Council.

Early detection efforts are important for several reasons Understanding where species are being found allows control strategies to be prioritized while populations are still small. When infestations get larger, control efforts become more difficult and costlier Reports of invasives in neighboring parks or properties also give natural area managers a heads-up.

Funding for this program was provided in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Lake Michigan Coastal Program, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, and ArcelorMittal.

If you have one, be sure to bring your smartphone. To RSVP or for further information, contact Susan MiHalo at smihalo@tnc.org by June 6.

For more information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, call (219) 395-1882 or visit www.nps.gov/indu

 

 

Posted 6/7/2016

 
 
 
 

 

 

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