By Cris Peck, Nisqually Land Trust

The Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council is hosting a free training for those interested in learning invasive plant species of the Pacific Northwest. Volunteers from the Land Trust have attended this training in the past and have found it very useful.

The Training

The PNW Invasive Plant Council’s mission is to train citizens to identify a suite of invasive plants and to take basic data on their location and population numbers so we can inform land managers of their presence which will help lead to their eradication before they spread. You will learn how to identify 30 EDRR (Early Detection Rapid Response) plants in a 2.5 hour training which will include a PowerPoint presentation and an opportunity to examine herbarium species of target species.

Live material will also be used if possible. Volunteers who sign up for the program will receive a training booklet to help ID species in the field along with survey forms. EDRR trainings are free. Trainings are intended to equip volunteers with the knowledge necessary to conduct EDRR plant surveys in target areas. We hope that each volunteer who attends the trainings can commit to at least two surveys over the 2013 field season.

Invasive Plant Identification Training

Sunday, May 5th; 1:00pm to 3:30pm at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

Monday, May 6th; 1:00pm to 3:30pm at LOTT Clean Water Alliance Center

Capacity is limited so if you would like to attend one of the trainings, please RSVP to Julie Combs at pnw.ipc.org@gmail.com (or call 615-812-5295) to reserve your place.