Weeds or wonders? Water lilies, pond lilies, water shield, and many more floating plants are part of the aquatic landscape of Vermont. Many of these plants are found thriving in Mount Holly's own Star Lake and Lake Ninevah. These plants add to the beauty of these waters and serve an important ecological role for aquatic critters. But they can also be a nuisance for lake residents and visitors looking for open areas to boat and swim.
Let's explore together the most common aquatic plants found at the surface of Vermont lakes & ponds. Expert ecologist and botanist Michael Lew-Smith, MS will guide us through what these plants are, how they grow, and their role in the aquatic ecosystem.
More about the speaker: Michael is part of an expert team of natural resource scientists and professionals from Arrowwood Environmental (AE). Since 2017, Michael has completed numerous surveys and plant inventories for Lake Ninevah in Mount Holly as part of the aquatic invasive species prevention program. Arrowwood Environmental, LLC, is a full service ecological services and consulting firm doing work in Vermont, New England and northern New York. AE is owned and operated by ecologists and technicians with extensive experience in a wide variety of environmental sciences including wetland ecology, wildlife biology, botany, forestry, surface water hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, natural resource planning and geographic information systems. Their work is widely respected by state and federal regulators as well as our municipal, commercial, non-profit and private sector clients.