East Texas Invasive Species Webinar It is estimated that $135 billion dollars are spent each year in removal and control of exotic and invasive species throughout the United States. Please join us for a 45 minute webinar to better understand the problem and see what you can do to “Stop the Spread”, presented by Michael Murphrey – East Texas Invasive Species Coordinator at the Texas Forest Service. The webinar is August 12th from 12:00-12:45pm. – More information.   Biosolutions for Biopollutions Workshop The Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council (MA-EPPC) is hosting a Biosolutions for Biopollutions workshop on August 19th in Annville, Pennsylvania. The workshop will highlight the latest in biocontrols available for some of the most common invasive species, including Japanese Knotweed, Mile-a-minute, and Tree-of-Heaven. Registration includes a MA-EPPC membership and a subscription to Wildlands Weeds. – More Information. Invasive Plant Track at the Texas Plant Conservation Conference At this year’s 2010 Texas Plant Conservation Conference, the Texas Invasive Plant and Pest Council (TIPPC) will be hosting a session on invasive plants. The 2010 Texas Plant Conservation Conference is being held at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, from September 15-17th. The conference is currently accepting invasive plant related abstract submissions for both oral and poster presentations. The new deadline for abstract submission is August 6th, please see the Abstract Submission Guidelines for further details. Invasive Spotlight: Lilac Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus) Vitex agnus-castus is a sprawling shrub that grows to 10-20 ft. Branched flower clusters range in color from violet to blue to deep purple. Not only is the tree strikingly beautiful when in full bloom, but also attracts pollinating bees and hummingbirds. Vitex is common in xeriscape gardens due to its fast growth and drought tolerance, and is even promoted as a Texas Superstar by Texas A&M AgriLife. The Nature Conservancy now considers Vitex a threat to wildlands and citizen scientists from the Invaders of Texas program have reported Vitex invading riparian areas and lakesides in the Hill Country down into South Texas. Learn more about Lilac Chaste Tree and other Texas Invasives. More News 2010 Registration for Potential Invasive Pest Workshop This workshop will include specialists on some of the most recent invasive pests and on potential invaders in order to provide researchers, regulatory personnel and growers with the necessary tools to address these potential threats. More information If you would like your invasive species event or news listed in the next iWire, please send the details to iwire@texasinvasives.org. Citizen Scientist of the Month: Bill Sanford Bill Sanford is a member of the newly trained City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department satellite. Since joining the Invaders of Texas program in May, Bill has reported over 100 observations and has been working directly with preserve managers to survey in key areas of Austin preserves and parks. Bill is a good example of Invaders of Texas citizen scientists, working directly with local resource managers to collect valuable data. Keep up the great work Bill! Invaders of Texas Schools Program The Invaders of Texas school program is up and running. Classrooms are now signing up as individual citizen scientists under the Texas High School or Texas Middle School satellites, and students will report their observations under their classroom's profile. This allows teachers to have more flexibility and protects the anonymity of their students. If you are a teacher and would like to participate in the Invaders of Texas program please read the Instructions for Teachers and/or email Travis Gallo for more information.. More schools joining the Invaders of Texas program Last month, Texas Forester Mike Murphrey held several workshops in Corpus Christi to train 16 high school teachers and 15 middle school teachers, significantly increasing our school program beyond a pilot project in the Austin and Dallas area. Teachers came from all over Texas each planning on taking the program back to their classroom in the fall. To keep up with the schools' progress check out the Texas High School and Middle School satellites under the Satellites page. Invaders of Texas Citizen Science Workshops 2010 We have a workshop in the Pineywoods and one in the North Texas area scheduled for the summer months. To stay up-to-date or request a new workshop, please visit our Workshop Page. Wednesday July 14, 2010 9am-4pm Livingston, TX Saturday August 28, 2010 9am-4pm Heard Museum, McKinney, TX