APIPP News: Native Plants for Adirondack Landscapes Webinar April 6; ADK Hunt for HWA Going Strong; Register for APIPP Spring Partner Meeting April 28

APIPP News: Native Plants for Adirondack Landscapes Webinar April 6; ADK Hunt for HWA Going Strong; Register for APIPP Spring Partner Meeting April 28

Dear Partners,

Happy Spring! As the snow melts, red-winged blackbirds arrive, and spring plants start to emerge, it is time to think gardens! Join us for a “Native Plants for Adirondack Landscapes” webinar on April 6. Also, make sure to register for APIPP’s April 28 Spring Partner meeting if you have not yet done so. Registration information is below.

Below you’ll also find an update about our collaborative volunteer hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) survey project, a link to a recent article about emerald ash borer, and a link to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) press release about actions the state is taking to protect Lake Champlain from aquatic invasive species.

April 6: Native Plants for Adirondack Landscapes, Free Webinar, 10:00am-11:30am

Join APIPP for a webinar to learn how to prevent the spread of invasive species by designing beautiful and functional landscapes using native plants. Native plant expert, Emily DeBolt, will lead the workshop and will talk about common plants that can become invasive in your landscape, native plant alternatives, and how to plan your gardens to support a diversity of plants and pollinators. Emily will introduce you to many of the native plants available for gardening, will share the benefits of gardening with natives, and will talk about some of her favorite natives from her own gardens. To register click here.

April 28: APIPP’s Virtual Spring 2022 Partner Meeting and Strategic Planning Update, 9:30am-12:00pm

Please register here to join APIPP's Spring 2022 Partner Meeting. The meeting is a great opportunity to connect with partners from across the Adirondacks and to learn more about invasive species. Our featured speaker will be former APIPP manager, Brendan Quirion. Brendan will share his recent research findings about the serious impacts of forest pests on forest-based carbon sequestration.

The last hour of the meeting will be dedicated to refining APIPP's strategic plan and getting feedback on partners’ priorities for the next five years. Many thanks to everyone who provided input via APIPP’s strategic planning survey earlier this year. We look forward to sharing an update with you.

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and NYS Canal Corporation Announce Comprehensive Effort to Protect New York's Waters from Round Goby

DEC and the Canal Corporation yesterday announced a new comprehensive effort to combat the potential spread of round goby, an aquatic invasive species, to the Lake Champlain Basin following the discovery of the fish in the Hudson River near Troy in July 2021. You can read more about actions DEC and the Canal Corporation are taking in this DEC press release.

2022 HWA Survey Season Going Strong!

Forest Pest Hunter volunteers conduct winter surveys for HWA. So far, volunteers have adopted over 100 trails to survey and have entered an astounding 271 observations into the statewide iMapInvasives database. Thank you volunteers!

We ask all volunteers to stop surveying by April 10 as the insect enters its mobile stage of life around mid-April. All forest visitors should be aware that HWA can be transferred on clothing and footwear from about mid-April through early July. Take care if hiking through HWA-infested areas during this time period.

Northern Woodlands Features Emerald Ash Borer

APIPP staff members Becca Bernacki and Tammara Van Ryn were recently quoted in an extensive article about emerald ash borer in Northern Woodlands. Northern Woodlands is published by the Center for Woodlands Education, whose mission is to advance a culture of forest stewardship in the Northeast and to increase understanding of and appreciation for the natural wonders, economic productivity, and ecological integrity of the region’s forests.

Happy Spring!

Tammara