Bringing together and increasing the capacity of experts, resource managers and citizen scientists to manage starry stonewort across the Great Lakes basin
Learn about starry stonewort, an invasive aquatic species threatening the Great Lakes basin.
Reports, presentations, training materials, and links to information about starry stonewort in the basin.
We need help identifying the extent of the infestation of starry stonewort in the Great Lakes basin.
Keep informed about what’s going on across the region in the fight against Starry Stonewort and other aquatic invasive species! Events coming soon are listed here, click to get more details. View our full calendar of events here.
In just under two weeks, on May 19th at 10am, we will be hosting our first webinar of the summer!
This webinar's guest will be Tyler Harrow-Lyle, a PhD Candidate in the Applied Bioscience program at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
The title of his presentation is: Investigating the distribution of Starry Stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa) in Ontario lakes and its role as an ecosystem engineer.
He will be discussing the physical and chemical habitat characteristics that promote and constrain Starry Stonewort's invasion of Ontario lakes. He will also talk about the potential impacts on the communities present throughout the lower aquatic foodweb and the environment.
Register to attend here: hws.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvduGvrDspEtyjCARETVcpuPr0alw-1QGN
If you're in the Finger Lakes area, this is a great chance to learn about and survey for invasive species, including starry stonewort!
We are excited to announce that we are bringing back our Summer Webinar Series with another four webinars!
Like last year, we will be hosting one webinar each month starting in May. Our guest presenters are a diverse group this year, representing different facets of researching and controlling starry stonewort.
All webinars are free, but please register beforehand using the links below! We'll provide further details about each webinar as we get closer.
If you'd like to view last year's webinars, they can all be found on our YouTube channel, along with other informative videos.
May (5/19/21, 10:00am) - Tyler Harrow-Lyle. Research on starry stonewort in Ontario Province, CA.
Registration: hws.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvduGvrDspEtyjCARETVcpuPr0alw-1QGN
June (6/9/21, 10:00am) - Don Fisher. A lake association's experiences in controlling starry stonewort with algaecide.
Registration: hws.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJArdeutrj4tEtEDodToeHJGfvPKpuc7ca1j
July (7/14/21, 10:00am) - Dr. Douglas Pullman. Researching and applying control methods for starry stonewort.
Registration: hws.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcqfuupqTksG9Oo28Feyv6mmzqH7SxyvY3Y
August: To be announced!
David Carr is my hero...
In case you missed it, we are repeating and expanding our surveying efforts from last year!
We're looking for VOLUNTEERS to help us search for invasive species in your favorite waterbodies. Invasive species lead to IRREVERSIBLE economic, environmental, and cultural damage. By participating in this program you can help PREVENT this damage by detecting invasive species before it's too late.
We will be hosting TRAININGS in June to teach you how to IDENTIFY invasive species, SURVEY, and REPORT what you found.
As this is a volunteer program, there is no commitment to how often you need to survey, or what you need to look for, or where (although we will have suggestions if you’re unsure!).
Sign up using the link below! Make sure in the "Which survey program are you interested in?" section, you select the "Starry Stonewort Program" option. The other options are sister programs being operated only in New York by the Finger Lakes PRISM. More information on these programs can be found on the PRISM website.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhJFRSAEgzPw79XYO70gH_ha01uzsd0QnL7kjMIM3TR92SkQ/viewform
2021 Volunteer Contact Information
2021 FLI Invasive Species Sampling Programs Multiple training's will be scheduled based on number of registered participants at a later date.Thanks to the generosity of our Expert Panelists, we've added nine new documents to the library on our website!
Included in the new additions are:
-A series of reports and presentations by Christine Jurek from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that reviews their ongoing efforts to manage starry stonewort.
-A research paper from Brian Ginn of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority that discusses the impacts of an infestation.
-A presentation by William Scott Brown of the Michigan Waterfront Alliance that gives a detailed look at the biology, ecology, and history of starry stonewort.
Check them out using the link below: starrystonewort.org/publications
Publications – Starry Stonewort Collaborative
A Collaborative’s success requires strong communication and open sharing of ideas and information. This library for starry stonewort information of all kinds was developed to support this idea.Starry stonewort has been found in Skaneateles Lake! Thankfully, it has been found early and local resource managers have time to monitor it and determine the best course of action.
Learn more here:
‘Highly aggressive’ algae found in Skaneateles Lake; could affect fishing, boating
The algae was first spotted in the U.S. in 1978.Glad they found it early! This is why the Collaborative’s starry stonewort monitoring program is so important!
The Starry Stonewort Collaborative is partnering with Finger Lakes PRISM again for their Macrophyte Survey! With your help, we will map invasive species, including starry stonewort, so that we can better control them. No experience as necessary, as we will provide both tools and training!
Learn more about the program and register to participate in the post below!
In November, we attended the Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference for 2020 and announced that we would share whatever footage we could. Well, the time has come!
The whole session, titled "Lessons Learned in Starry Stonewort Management", has now been put online for your viewing pleasure. It features five different presentations on current starry stonewort research and management.
You can view it here: youtu.be/bUtCScoSvLo
National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) has begun! This week, the North American Invasive Species Organization will be hosting a series of webinars on multiple aspects of invasive species management, such as policy making, research, prevention, and control. Although this doesn't focus on starry stonewort, it's a great opportunity to learn more about invasive species!
You can check out the schedule below:🥳 Today is the day! Happy NISAW!! 🎈
🖥 Which webinar are you most excited about watching this week?
✨ Register at NISAW.org
Monday, February 22, 2021
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM CT
Invasive Species Management Priorities and Opportunities for the Biden-Harris Administration and Members of the 117th Congress
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM CT
U.S. Federal Agency Updates
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM CT
Aquatic Nuisance Species Priorities for Prevention and Management
Thursday, February 25, 2021
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM CT
Science, Policy, and Solutions for Invasive Species
Friday, February 26, 2021
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CT
Show Me the Money!
✨ Register at NISAW.org
Tell us which webinar you’re most excited about in the comments! 👇
All underwater photography on starrystonewort.org captured by Scott Brown
