Vermont Invasives Website: A helpful tool for learning about invasives

Are you curious about invasive species found in Vermont? Have you heard about Japanese Knotweed or Garlic Mustard but aren’t sure what it looks like and want to know if it is growing on your property? Wondering if you have spotted Eurasian Watermilfoil or Zebra Mussels on your recent kayak trip? A great resource is the Vermont Invasives Website! The website provides information about aquatic invasives, land invasives, and forests pests. Familiarizing yourself with the common invasive species is a good way to learn more about the ways in which our forests, roadsides, and even personal properties are adjusting to species that are not native to our region.

There are many categories of invasive species and it is helpful to differentiate them by where they tend to be found. Examples of aquatic invasive species include:

Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
Variable-Leaved Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum)
Curly-Leaf Pondweed (Potamogeton crispus)
Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha)

Examples of land invasives include:

Garlic Mustard (Allaria petiolata)
Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)
Wild/Poison Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)
Bishop’s Weed/Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria)

Examples of forest pests include:

Hemlock Wolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae)
Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)
Spongy Moth (Lymantria dispar)

Information is also provided on Emerald Ash Borer flights and detection, what makes a species invasive, the impacts of invasive species, and methods of transport and introduction. The website also provides opportunities for outreach and volunteering along with various management strategies that are being used throughout the state of Vermont. Another useful feature of the website is the section where you can report land invasive species. This helps us learn about how these species are spreading throughout the ecosystem and the counties and regions where they have been spotted in Vermont. There is an option to submit a photo, view a map of existing locations, and even contact local Forest, Parks, and Recreation Offices.

Once you click on a species that you’d like to learn more about, you can view a large amount of information to get a better understanding of how to identify, manage, and slow the spread of the various species. The website provides useful photographs of the species along with photographs of species that look similar or have similar characteristics. This feature is quite helpful, especially if you are trying to identify a plant you may think is invasive. Next, in the case of plants, you can view descriptions of the general appearance, foliage, flowers, and fruit. There is also information on why the species poses an ecological threat, how it arrived in our area, and its general habitat and lifecycle. The lifecycle section is valuable when deciding how and when to manage the species. Management options are also provided, along with Vermont distribution. Native alternatives are occasionally listed in the how you can help section of each species individual page.

The Vermont Invasives Website is an excellent resource for identifying, managing, and learning about invasive plants and animals found in Vermont. Be sure to check it out if you are interested in learning more about how you can help with the detection of common invasives. It will not only benefit you and your property but will also help the ecosystem and habitat as a whole.

Visit the Vermont Invasives Website to learn more.