History, Natural History & the Arts
Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive pest that feeds on a variety of plants including grapes, hops, and maple trees, posing a severe threat to New York’s forests and agriculture.
SLF has been found in several locations in New York but has not yet spread to much of the state. One potential pathway for the spread of SLF is its preferred host plant, tree-of-heaven (TOH), which is already found in many locations across New York. [Read more…] about Help Track Spotted Lanternfly
Giant hogweed plants are now blooming across many parts of the state, making it a prime time to spot this harmful invasive species. Giant hogweed is a large plant with sap that can cause painful burns and scarring.
Adult giant hogweed plants tend to be 7-14 feet tall with umbrella-shaped clusters of white flowers up to 2.5 feet wide. The stem is green with purple splotches and coarse white hairs, and leaves are large (up to 5 feet across), incised, and deeply lobed. [Read more…] about Watch For and Report Giant Hogweed
This spring, there has been larger-than-usual gypsy moth populations and leaf damage in several parts of New York State. Gypsy moths are non-native but are naturalized, meaning they will always be around in our forests.
Their populations spike in numbers roughly every 10 to 15 years, but these outbreaks are usually ended by natural causes such as disease and predators. Because of this, the State typically does not manage them and does not provide funding for treating gypsy moths on private property. [Read more…] about Science Behind Our Gypsy Moth Caterpillar Outbreak
Over the past several centuries, there have been numerous additions to New York State’s flora and fauna. Invasive Species Awareness Week highlights some of the many forms of life that have invaded the region and are currently wreaking havoc with the established members of the region’s plant and animal communities.
However, not all organisms from outside the area adversely impact the environment like Eurasian milfoil or the zebra mussel. One of the largest transplants to New York’s North Country is the turkey vulture, a bird that occupies a niche for which few other creatures are so well suited. [Read more…] about The Turkey Vulture: A Welcome Invasive Species?
New York State’s eighth annual Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW) will be held June 6th through 12th. [Read more…] about Annual Invasive Species Awareness Week June 6-12
Janet Hayward Burnham, of Bethel, Vermont, was driving to the bank one day when she saw a tree on the side of the road that looked like it was covered in decorative webbing, “cans and cans” of it, as if for Halloween. However, it was June. [Read more…] about Web of Mystery: Euonymus Caterpillars
Irises, with their large, exotic-looking flowers waving atop tall stems, are among the showiest early summer blooms. Most of North America’s nearly 30 native iris species are found in the southeastern states and on the Pacific coast; but a few irises grow in the northern woodlands. The most common are the native blue iris or blue flag iris (Iris versicolor) and the invasive yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus). [Read more…] about A Tale of Two Irises
The big white birds paddling gracefully across a Massachusetts pond one recent November surprised me. I’d grown up in the town I was visiting and had never seen swans there, although my friend assured me they were resident birds. The only mute swans I’d seen before, years ago, were floating along the River Thames between Eton College and Windsor Castle. [Read more…] about Mute Swans: An Adorable Invasive Species
Many people take campfire wood from their backyards or neighborhoods as they head out to a favorite camping spot, not realizing the wood may be hiding the eggs, larvae, spores, adults, or even seeds of invasive threats. Hitching a ride on infested or infected firewood allows these pests to spread faster and farther than they could have on their own.
A variety of invasive species can be transported on firewood, from wood boring beetles and defoliators to fungi and diseases.
[Read more…] about Use Local Firewood: Avoid Spreading Invasives
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation staff commissioned the Orwell Brook sea lamprey barrier on March 16th, 2021.
The barrier is a temporary structure that is installed each March, during the sea lamprey spawning run, and then removed a couple months later when spawning sea lamprey are no longer present. [Read more…] about Efforts Made To Stop Sea Lampreys in Oswego County