Webinar - "Biological Control for Invasive Plants: procedures, safety, and effectiveness."

Join us for the FREE Stewardship Network Webcast Wednesday, June 13th, "Biological Control for Invasive Plants: procedures, safety, and effectiveness." 

Presentation by: Doug Landis, Dept. of Entomology (Michigan State University); and Lisa Brush, The Stewardship Network
Date: Wednesday, June 13th, 2012
Time: 12 noon to 1pm Eastern
Place: Your Computer!
Click here to view webcast!
(Link will become live day of webcast)

Invasive plants pose a threat to the ecological integrity of natural and restored ecosystems. Depending on the plant and its state of invasion, appropriate techniques for control range from hand pulling to herbicide sprays. But what do you do when conventional controls have failed and tens of thousands of acres are infested? This webcast will focus on the science and practice of weed biocontrol, i.e. the use of a plant’s natural enemies (herbivores, pathogens) to control its population growth and spread. The presentation will review the research, decision-making, and regulatory processes with an emphasis on evaluating the environmental safety of biological control. We will also update participants on the status of purple loosestrife, garlic mustard, and spotted knapweed biological control efforts in Michigan.
Join Doug Landis, Dept. of Entomology (Michigan State University); and Lisa Brush, of The Stewardship Network, to learn more about this important topic in the next Stewardship Network webcast!
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Doug Landis - Doug received his BA in Biology from Goshen College and his MS and PhD in Entomology from North Carolina State University. In 1988 he joined the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University where he is currently a Full Professor with research and teaching responsibilities in insect ecology. His research focuses on the role of landscape structure in shaping insect-insect and insect-plant plant interactions in working landscapes. He led a successful program on biological control of purple loosestrife in Michigan and has conducted research on biological control of garlic mustard and spotted knapweed. He is the author of over 135 peer-reviewed journal articles/book chapters and over 50 Extension bulletins and has won numerous awards for his work including the 2008 Recognition Award in Entomology for outstanding contributions to agriculture. http://www.landislab.ent.msu.edu/
Lisa Brush - Executive Director, Stewardship Network. Lisa has worked in the environmental field in Michigan for the last fifteen years. She is currently the Executive Director of the Stewardship Network and has been involved with the Network since its inception more than 10 years ago. She has a wealth of experience helping non-scientific people understand scientific issues. For over nine years, as she has built and coordinated the Stewardship Network, she has emphasized effective and meaningful stakeholder involvement in developing and implementing all aspects of this program.  She has a M.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan and a B.A. (Science in Society) from Wesleyan University.