Sessions on June 28th & 29th, 9 AM – 1 PM

Location: 680 Hudson Road Sudbury, MA

Description: The SuAsCo CISMA would like 10 organizations within the SuAsCo watershed to rear Galerucella beetles in 2014 and 2015 as part of the Nyanza settlement. Each organization will receive around $7,000/ year to help with the cost of supplies, staff time, and seasonal help if needed. The Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge will be hosting a teaching rearing facility in 2013 from March – June so interested parties can learn the process and gain some “hands on” experience.

If this is a project your organization would like to be involved in, register with Amber by email or phone (978-443-4661 x33). As always, please contact me if you have ANY questions!

Raising Galerucella beetles for Purple Loosestrife treatment – Video

May 16th at 7 PM.

View Jess Toro’s presentation: Taking On Invasives, Battles Won and Lost

Fall meeting of the SuAsCo CISMA

On November 13th, 2012 at the Garden in the Woods, conservation colleagues from a variety of non-profit, municipal, state, and federal organizations and agencies met to discuss the CISMA’s role in the Nyanza Final Restoration Plan, OARS mapping project, Raising Galerucella beetles, members accomplishments for the 2012 field season, Annual Priority Actions for 2013, and the upcoming steering committee elections.

There was an informal meet and greet starting at 2:30 PM with refreshments. The meeting started at 3:00 PM.

The agenda:

Introduction and Welcome – Lynn Knight, SUASCO CISMA Vice Chair

NYANZA Final Restoration Plan – Roles for the SUASCO CISMA and its Members – Amber Carr, SUASCO CISMA Coordinator/USFWS

OARS Mapping Project – Sue Flint, OARS

Raising Beetles for Purple Loosestrife Control – Katrina Scheiner, NPS, Intern

Guided Roundtable discussion “The Vine” – Lynn Knight and Amber Carr will guide a roundtable discussion amongst CISMA members.

Summary of CISMA Activities from the 2012 Field Season

RSC grant activities – Amber Carr, SUASCO CISMA Coordinator/USFWS
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant activities – Lynn Knight, SUASCO CISMA Vice Chair
Subcommittee Reports on 2011 Annual Priority Action (APA) activities and Proposed APAs for 2012 (Solicit feedback for 2012 APAs)

Upcoming Steering Committee Elections

There is no deadline to join the SuAsCo CISMA. Please attend any CISMA meeting if you would like to learn more about the organization and how you can participate. The Memorandum of Understanding and other related information can be found at http://www.cisma-suasco.org/

Formation of the SuAsCo CISMA has been generously supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Sudbury Foundation, and the Concord, Assabet, & Sudbury Wild & Scenic River Stewardship Council.

During holiday seasons, many people use plant material they have gathered from their yard or neighborhood to decorate their houses or businesses. The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) and the Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) highly recommend that people avoid using exotic, invasive plants such as Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) in holiday decorations.

Read full article (PDF)

CISMA partners with the DOT Baystate Roads Program on an Invasive Plant Management Workshop

Come to this workshop to learn how to improve your management results and cut costs. You will learn to identify the most common roadside invasive species, see best management practices for both control and prevention, and discuss the issues associated with vegetation management plans on right-of-ways. The course within the SuAsCo watershed is at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center on Thursday, October 11, 2012.

See the Boston Globe article, “Four-legged weed machines”, of June 10 at:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2012/06/09/wellesley-employs-goats-devour-invasive-plants-boulder-brook-reservation/ujRVHqiqavdzGYff7JbNKK/story.html

An interview regarding the Bittersweet Challenge was aired on the Living on Earth radio program. Who can find the biggest Oriental Bittersweet vine?

(see http://www.loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=12-P13-00023#feature7)

Beacon Villager Article – Apr. 4, 2012 Grant: Controlling Invasive Species in Rivers

Thanks to a $70,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, towns along the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord (SuAsCo) rivers can begin to control invasive plant species that threaten this important and ecologically rich watershed.

Read more

In Acton, volunteers have been working for the last few years to remove Garlic Mustard plants from Acton’s conservation areas. For a few weeks each spring, when the plant has shot up to easy picking height, but before it goes to seed, we pick dozens of bags. Volunteers can sign up at http://actoninvasives.org.

New Smartphone App Now Available to Boost Invasive Species Data Collection across Massachusetts

Thanks to a new collaboration between the University of Massachusetts’ Center for Public Policy and Administration (CPPA) and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), efforts to combat potentially devastating invasive species are succeeding. Now an App is available to anyone with a iPhone or Android smartphone or a digital camera, so they can help scientists collect valuable data about invasive species throughout Massachusetts.

Find the App on the CPPA website: http://masswoods.net/outsmart

Also check out this engaging youtube video promoting the smartphone applications:
http://www.youtube.com/user/OutsmartProject

See the CPPA – UMass Outsmart Project press release