SOUTH PARIS, Maine — The Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Oxford County will host a workshop on the ecology, impacts, identification and management of invasive plants May 2, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The workshop will begin at the Cooperative Extension Office, 9 Olson Rd., South Paris and will continue, after lunch, at a field site on Tremont St. in South Paris.
Invasive terrestrial plants can over-run our farms, forests, parks, roadsides, and backyards, displacing beneficial native plants and reducing habitat for wildlife. They can also interfere with native tree regeneration, encroach on productive fields, impede recreational access, and be a nuisance in property maintenance.
Nancy Olmstead, Invasive Plant Biologist with the Maine Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, will give an overview of why invasive plants are harmful, show which plants to be on the lookout for, and discuss ways to manage them. After lunch, the group will go to a local site to see invasive plants “in the flesh,” practice identification skills, and discuss management scenarios. This course offers 2 Pesticide Recertification credits as well as 3 ½ hours of Category 1 Maine Board of Licensure of Forester credits. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather.
The program is $15.00 per person; preregistration is required. Lunch is included. To register, for more information, or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Jean Federico at the Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District: 207.744.3119; oxfordcountyswcd@gmail.com. Preregister by April 30.
Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District:
The mission of the Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District is to provide leadership, learning and technical knowledge in the management and conservation of agriculture and natural resources by integrating and disseminating local, state and federal resources.
–University of Maine Cooperative Extension
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