CIPWG

Please note the following items of interest from the Connecticut Invasive Plant 
Working Group (CIPWG).  Many of these items can be found on the CIPWG 
website at www.hort.uconn.edu/cipwg


1.  SAVE THE DATE!!  We are pleased to announce a CIPWG Invasive Plant 
Symposium to be held on Thursday, October 7, 2004 at the UConn South Campus 
Ballroom in Storrs, CT.  Our Keynote speaker will be Dr. Bernd Blossey from 
Cornell University.  The Symposium Planning Committee is finalizing the program 
and other details.  Additional information will be available next month.

2.  The Connecticut Flower and Garden Show will be held at the Expo Center in 
Hartford, CT from February 26-29, 2004.  CIPWG will be setting up an exhibit in
the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc. section and we need your help!  
Volunteers are needed to staff the display.  We are also looking for suggestions
for the exhibit.  Please contact Penni Sharp at pensharp10@aol.com to sign up for a 
shift.

3.  The CIPWG Membership Subcommittee is currently seeking a volunteer to 
serve as the contact person for new members.  Lori Benoit, who had served in
this capacity for many years, has moved to New York.  This is a minimal time 
commitment but an essential part of our organization.  The contact person will
be listed on the CIPWG membership form. He or she will forward information on new 
members to subcommittees and to the general membership database.  Please 
contact Donna Ellis (donna.ellis@uconn.edu; 860-486-6448) if you can help out. 

4.  The newly formed Invasive Plants Council has been meeting on a regular basis 
since the enactment of Public Act No. 03-136, "An Act Concerning Invasive
Plants."  The next two meetings will be held on Jan. 13th at 10:30 a.m. and Jan. 29th at 
10:00 a.m. in room 1A of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.  All
meetings are open to the public.  For more information, visit the CIPWG or IPANE websites 
(IPANE website http://invasives.eeb.uconn.edu/ipane/associated_projects.htm)

5.  At the November 13, 2003 CIPWG meeting we decided to set up an electronic 
newsletter to feature invasive plant topics and other related information.  We
are now seeking articles for the first issue of the newsletter.  Please email your
articles or other suggestions to Donna Ellis (donna.ellis@uconn.edu) or Elizabeth
Corrigan (elizabethcorrigan@yahoo.com).  At the meeting we also developed a list of 
speakers who are willing to give presentations on invasive plants, including  
identification, management, research, aquatics, and other areas.  Speaker
contact 
information is available on the website.

6.  The 5th Annual Meeting of the Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society
(NEAPMS) will take place on January 20th and 21st, 2004 at the Gideon Putnam 
Resort in Saratoga Springs, New York.  This year a welcome reception is planned, 
sponsored by BASF, on Monday night (the 19th).  For more information, follow the 
links on the CIPWG Calendar of Events.

7.  The Annual Meeting of the New England Association of Environmental
Biologists (NEAEB), to be held from March 17-19, 2004 in Hancock, MA has just issued a call 
for papers and posters.  Biologists from the 6 New England states, NY and EPA 
Regional biologists put on the conference.  The major focus of this group is
local biology, i.e. what people are doing in the New England area.  This year there
will be a session on exotic and invasive species. The session will consist of two hours
with approximately 4 presentations during that time.  Abstract submission deadline is 
January 15th.  Contact Hilary Snook (snook.hilary@epa.gov; (617-918-8670) for 
more information or to submit an abstract.

8.  The 5th annual National Weeds Awareness Week is February 23-27 in 
Washington, D.C.  More information on events can be found on the web at 
http://ficmnew.fws.gov/iwac/niwaw_v/index.html

9.  A very informative summary article on Phragmites written by Dr. Kristin 
Saltonstall at the University of Maryland can be viewed in pdf format on the web
at http://ian.umces.edu/pdfs/iannewsletter7.pdf


Submitted by Donna Ellis, CIPWG Co-Chair
Donna Ellis
Co-Chairperson, Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group
(860) 486-6448
Email donna.ellis@uconn.edu
Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group web site www.hort.uconn.edu/cipwg