Perspectives on Invasive Plants

On November 3rd, as part of the Thursdays at the U Lecture Series, Michael Heim will discuss "Perspectives on Invasive Plants." How should we view these plants? Does it matter if we think about plants new to our region as "invasive" or "non-native" or "non-local”? What makes a new plant "good" or "bad?" Heim will discuss these terms, along with biological considerations which are often overlooked when implementing management decisions regarding these flora. Mike is a faculty member at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Community College in Hayward WI, where he teaches courses in the natural sciences and is the Agriculture & Natural Resources Degree Program advisor. He has a long-time interest in plant ecology, paleobotany, and the biology of adventive species (those living outside their native range) as well as that of relict plants (a remnant of an otherwise extinct species). His home is located on the kettle moraine in Sawyer County where he gardens and studies all sorts of hardy plants, from kiwifruit to cacti. His presentation will be 12:30-1:30, in the Blue Hills Lecture Hall (Ritzinger 234) on the UWEC-Barron County campus, located at 1800 College Drive in Rice Lake. Thanks to financial support from the campus foundation, each talk in the lecture series is free and open to the public. Neither parking permits nor seating reservations are required for campus guests. For more information, call the campus at 715-788-6244 or contact the organizer at tollefla@uwec.edu (mailto:tollefla@uwec.edu)