Reminder - Focus Group Meeting on Invasive species for Aquarium Hobbyists and Water Gardeners

From Erin Seekamp,


In partnership with the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, Erin Seekamp (Assistant Professor, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University) will be conducting one focus groups at Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe Illinois on September 26th from 6-8pm and another one in Forest Park Nature Center in Peoria Illinois on September 27th from 6-8pm.

We are seeking input from residents of North Chicago and the greater Peoria area with hobby interests in aquariums and water gardens. We are hoping to capture their ideas about how to best keep the species with which they work (fish, reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic plants) from entering Illinois' waterways. Their ideas will be used to develop a statewide survey (to be distributed through pet stores and garden nurseries) and to develop future outreach campaigns to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Our press release about the project is pasted below.



We truly appreciate your assistance,
Erin Seekamp, North Carolina State University, erin_seekamp@ncsu.edu, 919.513.7407



Glencoe Press Release:
Aquarium Hobbyists and Water Gardeners: Join the discussion and help fight AIS Protecting Illinois’ natural areas and waterbodies requires your help. Now is your chance to voice your opinion and help shape statewide education and outreach efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) are conducting a focus group in Glencoe on Wednesday, September 26th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

AIS can easily be released into the environment by aquarium and water garden species hobbyists. The goals of this discussion are to learn what you think about practices to reduce the spread of AIS and to help design future campaigns that speak to the people of Illinois.

To register, please contact Erin Seekamp by phone at (919) 513-7407 or email at erin_seekamp@ncsu.edu.

IISG is one of 32 programs nationwide that address a number of coastal issues through research, education and outreach. The program is committed to informing the public about the problems posed by AIS as well as how to prevent their spread. Dr. Erin Seekamp is a faculty member and researcher in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM), College of Natural Resources, NCSU. PRTM is a national leader in research and extension activities - dedicated to finding real solutions for real problems and transferring that knowledge to help communities and people thrive.



Peoria Press Release:
Aquarium Hobbyists and Water Gardeners: Join the discussion and help fight AIS Protecting Illinois’ natural areas and waterbodies requires your help. Now is your chance to voice your opinion and help shape statewide education and outreach efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) are conducting a focus group in Peoria on Thursday, September 27th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Forest Park Nature Center.

AIS can easily be released into the environment by aquarium and water garden species hobbyists. The goals of this discussion are to learn what you think about practices to reduce the spread of AIS and to help design future campaigns that speak to the people of Illinois.

To register, please contact Erin Seekamp by phone at (919) 513-7407 or email at erin_seekamp@ncsu.edu.

IISG is one of 32 programs nationwide that address a number of coastal issues through research, education and outreach. The program is committed to informing the public about the problems posed by AIS as well as how to prevent their spread. Dr. Erin Seekamp is a faculty member and researcher in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM), College of Natural Resources, NCSU. PRTM is a national leader in research and extension activities - dedicated to finding real solutions for real problems and transferring that knowledge to help communities and people thrive.

Aquarium Hobbyists and Water Gardeners: Join the discussion and help fight AIS

September 10, 2012

Protecting Illinois’ natural areas and waterbodies requires your help. Now is your chance to voice your opinion and help shape statewide education and outreach efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) are conducting focus groups in Glencoe(Sept 26^th) and Peoria (Sept 27^th) with aquarium hobbyists and water gardeners. The two-hour meetings will occur between 6 and 8 pm on these evenings. A small monetary compensation for participation will be provided.

AIS can easily be released into the environment by aquarium and water garden hobbyists.  The goals of this discussion are to learn what you think about practices to reduce the spread of AIS and to help design future campaigns that speak to the people of Illinois.

For more information, contact Greg Hitzroth at hitzroth@illinois.edu.

To register for one of these meetings, please contact Erin Seekamp by phone at (919) 513-7407 or email at erin_seekamp@ncsu.edu.The specific meeting location will be disclosed upon registration.

IISG is one of 32 programs nationwide that address a number of coastal issues through research, education and outreach. The program is committed to informing the public about the problems posed by AIS as well as how to prevent their spread. Dr. Erin Seekamp is a faculty member and researcher in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM), College of Natural Resources, NCSU. PRTM is a national leader in research and extension activities - dedicated to finding real solutions for real problems and transferring that knowledge to help communities and people thrive.

Article on invasive Species in Autumn

The River to River CWMA published an article in 2011 on invasive species in fall.  Now that we are moving into the autumn months, this article might be worth another read.

http://rtrcwma.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-is-time-to-identify-many-woody.html

Reporting invasive species in Illinois

We know that almost anywhere you go in Illinois, you can likely find at least one invasive species.

Japanese chaff flower spread
along the Ohio River

What we don't have a clear idea of is which species are where.  Sometimes a new infestation of an invasive species is totally unexpected and seemingly can come out of nowhere (as did the recently discovered two new populations of Japanese stiltgrass in McHenry County).  Other times we can better predict and actually expect a new invader to show up on an established spread corridor (as did Japanese chaff flower spreading down the Ohio River).

What is important is being able to track those populations of invasive species that we do know about.  Having a good idea of the distribution of invasive species across the state helps us to plan and prioritize where and what to control and what to species to expect to show up in the future.

If you deal with invasive species in Illinois (either as part of your 'day job', as a volunteer, or on your own land), there are resources available that both allows you to see the distribution of invasive species in Illinois and lets you add to those maps by submitting new findings.

EDDMapS (www.eddmaps.org) is an online mapping system built specifically for tracking the distribution of invasive species.  This is a nationwide program so you can not only see what species are invading Illinois, you can also view those same species across the nation.  Anyone can view this information, and, with a simple and free sign-up, anyone can enter data on new findings.

The folks that developed EDDMapS has helped create two applications specifically for sections of Illinois.

If you live in Northeast Illinois, the New Invaders Watch Program, utilizes this mapping system on their website (www.newinvaders.org).  Better yet, when you enter a new infestation on a parcel of public land, the  managing agency is automatically alerted to that fact.

www.newinvaders.org

In southern Illinois, the River to River CWMA has mapping and data entry functions on its website (www.rtrcwma.org).  You can find the report sightings function here.  Both of these systems are tied together and share data.

Take a look at these systems and if you find something new in your area, please add it to the map and help out the statewide effort.

Burmese python captured at Waukegan lakefront

I don't think we need to worry about pythons overtaking Illinois like they are in the Everglades, but still here is a story of one found in Waukegan.

Original story can be found on the Lake County News-Sun website:
http://newssun.suntimes.com/news/15213780-418/burmese-python-captured-at-waukegan-lakefront.html

Burmese Python captured at Waukegan lakefront


BY DAN MORAN
dmoran@stmedianetwork.com

Last Modified: Sep 18, 2012 02:40AM

WAUKEGAN — A lakefront landscaper got more than he signed up for Monday when his work outside a Sea Horse Drive business produced a most unexpected discovery: A 12- to 15-foot Burmese python.

No one was injured during the encounter with the pale-yellow, possibly albino snake, which was uncovered around 10 a.m. near Sea Horse Drive and Clayton Street by an employee of a nearby business trimming bushes. The spot where the snake was in hiding sits across Sea Horse Drive from Waukegan Municipal Beach.

According to Lt. Edward Fitzgerald of the Waukegan Police Department, the snake was taken into custody without incident by animal control officers called to the scene.

“It was a little lethargic, because it’s been cold out and they’re cold-blooded. It wasn’t aggressive at all,” said Fitzgerald, though he added that the snake “kind of livened up a little bit” after a trip inside a van to the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest.

Fitzgerald said officials at the Discovery Center reported that the snake needed treatment for an unspecified illness but was otherwise in good shape.

As for how the member of a species native to Southeast Asia ended up on the shore of Lake Michigan, Fitzgerald said the snake appears to have been a reject, adding that police hadn’t fielded any reports about a missing python.

“It most likely that somebody dumped it,” he said. “There’s obviously no residences down there, so it probably didn’t crawl away from someone.” Wherever the snake came from, Fitzgerald said it was one for the local record books.

“It’s probably the biggest snake we’ve ever caught,” he said. “I would say it was around 12 to 15 feet, and it took two or three of our people to catch it.”

Exotic hornets a danger to hummingbirds?

An article was recently published in The Southern Illinoisan about European Hornets attacking hummingbirds.

You can find the article at:
http://thesouthern.com/sports/outdoors/hornets-a-danger-to-birds/article_dd037434-fe2b-11e1-85be-0019bb2963f4.html

Hornets a danger to birds?

Witnesses have seen attacks on ruby-throated hummingbirds in region

SEPTEMBER 14, 2012 2:00 AM • BY LES WINKELER, THE SOUTHERN

The European hornet was introduced to the United States sometime between 1840-60. Eventually the hornet made its way to Illinois and is fairly common in wooded areas. It is found throughout the eastern United States and into the Dakotas.

The hornet, which resemble yellow jackets, but are much larger, have become somewhat more of a pest in recent years. Several Southern Illinois residents have reported seeing the hornets 

attack, and kill, ruby-throated hummingbirds.

“I saw the bugs kill four or five hummingbirds last year and this year while banding at Dave and Jean Conrod‟s place,” said Cathie Hutcheson in an email. “Dave saw one stinging a 

hummingbird in the grass and was able to swat it away, but as the bird flew away the bug chased it.”

The European hornet typically eats caterpillars, grasshoppers and other insects. They are also known to prey on honey bees.

“I can see that (attacks on hummingbirds) happening, but I‟ve never heard of it,” said J.E. McPherson, a retired professor of entomology at SIU. “If you look at these social wasps, when 

they go out and find something like a caterpillar, they have tremendous jaws.

“They will jump on a caterpillar and chew them up and make little meat balls. They bring them back to the nest to feed the larvae.”

“I‟ve heard occasional reports of that (hummingbird attacks),” said Chris Dietrich, an entomologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. “I haven‟t heard anything unusual in terms 

of frequency. This is the first I‟ve heard of it becoming more of a problem than normal.”The European hornet typically nests in wooded areas, primarily in hollow trees. However, nests 

are sometimes found in barns, attics, sheds and in open spaces in walls.  

“They prefer forest habitats,” Dietrich said. “Mature trees, that‟s the kind of habitat they like.  They are not all that common in populated areas. It‟s a fairly widespread commond species that 

have been here a long time.”  Dietrich said the hummingbird-hornet interaction probably occurs when a hummingbird feeder is found near a nest. The European hornet is drawn to hummingbird feeders to prey on insects around the feeder.

Hummingbirds are in most danger when there are large numbers of the hornets. “Hummingbirds can hold their own in most cases,” Dietrich said. “If there is a nest near the 

feeder, the wasps tend to be more aggressive around their nests. 

“Typically, I haven‟t heard too many reports of them just attacking a hummingbird. They‟ll buzz, but they typically won‟t sting.”

les.winkeler@thesouthern.com/618-351-5088

Japanese stiltgrass found in northern Illinois

Two populations of Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) were recently discovered in McHenry County in Northeast Illinois.  This plant is considered one of the most aggressive invaders in the forests of southern Illinois, and is known to occur across the southern edge of the Midwest .  Fortunately, steps are being taken to control these populations.  These populations, along with the discovery of a population in Will County in 2011, indicate that stiltgrass has the potential to establish anywhere in Illinois.  
 
This species spreads quickly and is likely to show up in high-use areas such as campgrounds, picnic areas, trailheads, etc.  Finding and controlling any new populations before they become well established is crucial to management.  Please keep a look out for this species in the region or natural area where you work and if you find a suspect population, please report it.  There are many people and programs available to help you with verification of ID and control strategies.  If you are in NE Illinois, you can report populations to the  New Invaders Watch Program at  www.newinvaders.org.  For areas outside of NE Illinois, you can report infestations to Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan Invasive Species Campaign Coordinator at rivertoriver@gmail.com.  See this alert flyer for more information on identifying stiltgrass and reporting new infestations.  To learn about current management strategies, life history traits and current research on stiltgrass, go to the 2010 Stiltgrass Summit website at www.rtrcwma.org/stiltgrass.