Hydrilla in Hobomock Pond

The invasive plant Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) was discovered this past summer in Hobomock Pond in Pembroke, Massachusetts, only the second known site in our state. A volunteer from the Department of Conservation and Recreation's Weed Watchers Program made the discovery in August and contacted DCR biologists, who confirmed the identification. A survey of the pond found it to be heavily infested. State biologists also surveyed the nearby Furnace Pond, Little Sandy Bottom Pond, Great Sandy Bottom Pond, Mill Pond, Stetson Pond, and Oldham Pond, but did not detect any Hydrilla.

Hydrilla is an extremely aggressive, non-native aquatic plant that has devastated waters in Florida and other southern areas with its lake-choking growth. To date, it has been documented at only one other Massachusetts location, in a pond in Barnstable.

DCR Lakes and Ponds staff have already begun working with the Massachusetts Aquatic Invasive Species Working Group, the Pembroke Ponds Watershed Association, and the Pembroke Conservation Commission to develop and execute a response plan to manage and, it is hoped, eradicate the Hydrilla in Hobomock Pond and prevent its spread.

“The detection of this invasive plant is an excellent example of what can be accomplished through education and partnership with concerned citizens at the local level,” said DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. “It reinforces the benefit of investing in a group of citizens to help DCR with its mission by serving as the agency’s eyes and ears at lakes and ponds across the state. We are deeply grateful for the help from a private citizen in this particular case.”

Weed Watchers training is a free service provided by DCR to lake associations and other concerned groups. A key goal is to prevent infestation of Massachusetts’s lakes and ponds by non-native, invasive aquatic plants, and to work toward controlling and removing existing populations of invasives. The program trains local groups to monitor their lakes and ponds and to develop a removal plan if an infestation is found.

To find out more about how you can become a Weed Watcher, click here.

Asian Longhorned Beetle Invades Facebook!

The Asian longhorned beetle now has its own group on Facebook. Join up and show your support for the battle against this invasive, tree-destroying beetle. Members also get the latest ALB news, notices about upcoming outreach events, photos and more.

Untreated firewood from Canada now banned

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service recently instituted a new regulation requiring that firewood imported into the US from Canada must be heat treated. This ruling, which applies to all hardwood (non-coniferous) trees, is meant to prevent the accidental introduction of non-native pests including the Asian longhorned beetle, the emerald ash borer, and the gypsy moth. To be approved for entry into the US, the firewood must be certified as being heat treated at 71.1'C (160'F) for at least 75 minutes. The ban includes transport of firewood for personal uses, such as camping - another good reason to buy and use firewood locally.

To learn more about why you shouldn't transport untreated firewood, check out the Don't Move Firewood website. You can also read the official Federal Import Quarantine Order here (pdf).

Photo source: NYS DEC

Let's talk about Plant Pests

Are you part of a garden club, environmental group, or other organization that wants to learn more about the invasive insect pests, plant pathogens and weeds that threaten our state? The Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project offers free lectures and training sessions covering everything from the Asian longhorned beetle to pathogens like sudden oak death, to invasive plants like mile-a-minute vine.

Because there is no charge for these sessions, they are restricted to groups of 40 or more attendees. MIPOP can also provide your organization with educational materials like fact sheets, posters and informational videos. For more information, email Jennifer Forman Orth, the State Plant Pest Survey Coordinator for Massachusetts, at jennifer.forman-orth@state.ma.us, or call 617-626-1735.

Get Compliance Training for ALB

If you have a business that could potentially be affected by the new Asian Longhorned Beetle regulations, you should make sure to sign up for one of the Compliance Training Sessions being held by the Massachusetts ALB Cooperative Eradication Program. The two-hour training and certification workshop will allow your business to enter into a compliance agreement and continue to operate within the regulated area.

Businesses that could be affected include any company performing work within the regulated area that results in the movement or transport of wood materials. Nurseries, landscapers, construction companies, tree removal services and firewood dealers are among the many businesses that have already received training. New sessions will be held 10/29/2008, 11/6/2008, 11/13/2008, and 11/20/2008. You can register online or call 508-799-8328 for more information.

Mile-a-Minute on Block Island

An infestation of mile-a-minute vine (Polygonum perfoliatum) was discovered last month on Block Island, located off the coast of Rhode Island. The initial sighting was in a swamp owned by The Nature Conservancy, in several patches covering more than 400 square meters. A small additional population was also found in the yard of an island resident. The Nature Conservancy and Rhode Island Natural History Survey staff were quick to assess the problem, and have already been out to the sight for a day-long "pulling session" to remove the thorny vines by hand. Given the extent of the invasion, RINHS staff expect that the mile-a-minute, which is an annual plant, has already put out a lot of seeds this season, meaning that RINHS and TNC will be back on the island next year for more pulling.

Massachusetts has two populations of mile-a-minute vine that are currently under eradication. If you think you have seen this plant, please report it using our online form, or call our Plant Pest Hotline at 617-626-1779.

Volunteers Wanted: Help Find ALB!

You help is needed this fall and winter in the search for the Asian longhorned beetle! The Greater Worcester Land Trust is enlisting volunteers to survey conservation land in the Worcester area for signs of the wood-boring invader. The initial goal of the GWLT is to cover a 150 acre parcel of conservation land, a mere 10% of the land that the trust is charged with protecting.

The survey crews meet every Thursday at noon to head out into the woods and look for signs of ALB damage. There is also a weekend event coming up soon for those of you who cannot make it during the work week. Any suspect trees are tagged and have their positions recorded by GPS. The information is then passed on to the ALB Cooperative Eradication Program for confirmation.

The GWLT is happy to train new volunteers on how to recognize the beetle, its host trees, and the damage it can cause. So far, the volunteers have had a pretty good track record at finding infested trees, but there is a lot of work left to do.

To sign up, contact the Greater Worcester Land Trust at 508-795-3838 or email anne@gwlt.org. You can read more about the GWLT's volunteer effort in this Worcester Telegram article.