FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kristin TePas (847-872-0141); ktepas@illinois.edu

August 9, 2006

Come Help Solve Indiana's Invasive Plant Problem
(Workshops have been cancelled.)

URBANA - In Indiana, as in most states, invasive aquatic plants are taking root. One example is Eurasian watermilfoil, which you can find growing in dense beds in lakes throughout Indiana, shading out native plant species, and making boating, fishing and swimming nearly impossible. Eurasian watermilfoil was introduced as an aquarium plant, but has escaped and infested waters throughout the nation.

Would you like to be a part of the solution? Aquatic plant growers, retailers and enthusiasts (including aquarists and water gardeners) are invited to a half-day workshop to share ideas on what Indiana should do to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants that are commercially available. The workshop is sponsored by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG), the Great Lakes Commission and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Interested parties will have two opportunities to attend the workshop--on September 11 in Indianapolis and on September 18 in Porter. Both workshops will run from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m (EDT in Indianapolis and CDT in Porter).

"At the workshop, we will start with an overview of the issues related to invasive species and describe what is currently being done in Indiana and other Great Lake states," said Kristin TePas, IISG aquatic invasives extension associate. "Then workshop participants will have an opportunity to propose ideas on how we might further address the problem."

"Who better to come up with ideas than those who know how the plant and aquarium industries work? Their input is vital to the process of creating a management plan," said TePas.

The September 11 workshop will be held at The Garrison, Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park, 6002 North Post Road, Indianapolis. The September 18 workshop will be held at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, 1100 North Mineral Springs Road in Porter.

If you are interested in attending a workshop, please register by September 1 by contacting Erika Jensen at the Great Lakes Commission at (734) 971-9135 ext. 139, (743) 971-9150 (fax) or ejensen@glc.org. For more information about the workshops, contact Sea Grant at (847) 872-8677.

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The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program is one of more than 30 National Sea Grant College Programs. Created by Congress in 1966, Sea Grant combines university, government, business and industry expertise to address coastal and Great Lakes needs. Funding is provided by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U. S. Department of Commerce, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University at West Lafayette, Indiana.

Irene Miles
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
376 NSRC
1101 W. Peabody Dr.
Urbana, Il 61801
Phone:  217-333-8055
Fax:  217-333-8046
miles@illinois.edu