Texas Invasive Plant and Pest Conference Postponed

Due to financial and logistical constraints beyond our control, the Texas Invasive Plant & Pest Council has decided to postpone the 2013 Texas Invasive Plant & Pest Conference which was to be held October 21-24, 2013 at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.
 
TIPPC will be selecting new conference dates for the early part of 2014 and will notify TIPPC members, current registrants, and the public of details of the re-scheduled conference on this website and via electronic media. Current registrants will be contacted personally about their conference registration options. Thank you for your understanding and dedication. We look forward to an exciting and productive conference in 2014!

Vist the Conference Website to learn more.
 
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Zebra Mussels in Lake Belton

TPWD Media Release Sept. 26, 2013

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Executive Director Carter Smith Wednesday signed an order adopting an emergency rule to add lakes Belton and Stillhouse Hollow, and portions of the Leon and Lampasas rivers to the list of water bodies covered by special regulations intended to control the spread of zebra mussels.

“The Lake Belton discovery underscores how critical it is for boaters all across Texas to get informed and involved to help stop the spread of zebra mussels,” said Brian Van Zee, TPWD Inland Fisheries regional director based in Waco.

For more information on zebra mussels and how to clean, drain and dry a boat, visit www.texasinvasives.org/zebramussels

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Commander Ben on Central Texas Gardener

Benjamin Shrader appeared on Central Texas Gardener on PBS in September where he was interviewed by host Tom Spencer to talk about Ben's work with invasive species, UT Austin, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. As Commander Ben, he created the Invasive Hunter Academy and many videos to educate kids of all ages about invasive species, science, and dyslexia. In 2013, he received an Outstanding Terrestrial Invasive Species Volunteer award from the National Invasive Species Council. Click here to learn more about Ben's appearance on KLRU.

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Wildflower Center Announces New Invasive Species Coordinator

Please welcome Justin Bush the new Invasive Species Program Coordinator at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Justin hails from Washington State where he was Program Coordinator with the Skamania County Noxious Weed Control Program. In that role he managed, designed, planned and implemented terrestrial and aquatic invasive plant control and restoration projects throughout Skamania County.

Justin will be on board in mid-October and he is looking forward to working with the Invaders of Texas Citizen Scientists and other agencies to develop and implement landscape scale invasive species and conservation projects.

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Eating Aliens

North America is under attack by a wide range of invasive animals. Black spiny-tailed iguanas in Florida, Asian carp in Missouri and Virginia, nutria in Louisiana, European green crabs in Connecticut, and other alien species throughout the United States are devouring our native plants and animals, pushing many to the brink of extinction.

Jackson Landers has a unique solution to the problem: Eat them! This adventure narrative describes Landers’s quest to hunt twelve invasive animal species and turn them into delicious meals, showing how anyone can feed a family while enjoying the thrill of the hunt and helping to protect and conserve the natural environment.

Click here to learn more or order the book.

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Sentinel Pest Network and Invasive Species Workshops

Invaders of Texas workshops train volunteers to become citizen scientists to detect and report invasive species. Workshops can include sessions on the Sentinel Pest Network, which serves to increase the probability of early detection of Emerald Ash Borer, Cactus Moth, Asian Longhorned Beetle, and other pests of regulatory significance. Workshops can be tailored to meet the interests of your volunteer group, and supplementary session examples include an introduction to the TX Invaders mobile application and the Eradicator Calculator, a feature on Texasinvasives.org designed to help organize and track volunteer-based eradication efforts.

For more information or to request a workshop, please visit our Workshop Page.