Take the Bait…don’t dump it!

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Jay Kilian, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Resource Assessment Attention anglers!  What lies in your bait bucket has the potential to damage Maryland’s waters and the quality of your most prized fishing hole.  Your favorite type of bait may help you catch a big fish, but it may also be an invasive species.  Rusty crayfish, […]

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Colossal Catfish Cause Conservation Complications

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Contributor: Tyler McKee, MD Department of Natural Resources We may be under a stay-at-home order, but the natural world is on the move as spring comes into full swing. Unfortunately, that includes invasive species. One invasive threat, that has been on the move in Chesapeake watershed since the 1960s, is invasive catfish. Sightings and catch […]

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Deceptive little buttercup is foe, not friend

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Contributor: Deborah Landau, The Nature Conservancy, MD/DC chapter, dlandau@tnc.org As temperatures begin to rise and we start looking for signs of spring, don’t be fooled by these little yellow beauties as you stroll through the woods looking for wildflowers. Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna), is a member of the buttercup family and more commonly known as […]

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“New Leaf Disease is a Beech”

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Contributor: Tyler McKee With smooth grey bark and bronze leaves lasting deep into winter, the American beech (Fagus grandifolia), is a popular and easily recognizable tree in the eastern forest. It is an ecologically important tree, as it is one of the lone hard mast producers and a climax species of the northern hardwood forest. […]

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MISC Meeting – January 16, 2020

MDA Annapolis Building

Maryland Invasive Species Council – Next Meeting Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020 | 9:30 AM to 12 PM LOCATION:Maryland Department of Agriculture 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway Annapolis, MD 21401 Click Here for Directions to MDA Follow signs to Visitor Parking. Walk in through main entrance, visitors must check in at the security desk. AGENDA – Scroll […]

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CANCELED: MISC Meeting – November 21, 2019

MDA Annapolis Building

CANCELED: Maryland Invasive Species Council – November Meeting Cancellation Reason: No MDA room available. CANCELED: Thursday, November 21,2019 | 9:30 AM to 12 PM LOCATION: Maryland Department of Agriculture 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway Annapolis, MD 21401 Click Here for Directions to MDA Follow signs to Visitor Parking. Walk in through main entrance, visitors must check […]

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The visible invisible: impacts of invasive jumping worms

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Contributor: Annise Dobson Many of us have grown up thinking that earthworms are a sign of healthy, fertile soil. However, many earthworms found throughout Maryland are not native. Earthworms can be beneficial in their native ecosystems and agricultural settings, but their ability to re-engineer soil can completely restructure ecosystems and the microbial, plant, arthropod and […]

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The Sign of the Times are the Vines

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Contributor: Bud Reaves Invasive vines are colorful and decorative plants that are often used for ornamental purposes for their showy flowers and colorful, sometimes uniquely shaped fruit. They have a downside however, as many invade forested habitats where they can severely limit the growth of, or even kill, trees and shrubs. Fall is a great […]

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Thousand Cankers Disease Reappears in Maryland

Walnut Twig Beetle

Contributor: Dr. Ramesh R. Pokharel, Plant Disease Specialist, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Ramesh.pokharel@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (August, 2019) – Thousand cankers disease (TCD) is a complex problem in walnuts, Juglans spp., caused by the fungus Geosmithia morbida and transmitted by walnut twig beetle (WTB), Pityophthorus juglandis. The beetles tunnel under tree bark and introduce the fungus, […]

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