Newsletter Vol 16 Issue 4, 2008 – California Invasive Plant Council

Cal-IPC News
Protecting California’s Natural Areas
from Wildland Weeds

Vol. 16, No. 4

Winter 2009

Quarterly Newsletter of the California Invasive Plant Council

Focusing our
research on the
big problems…

What research questions should graduate
students like Janet Garcia of UC Riverside
(pictured here studying artichoke thistle)
pursue to help land managers? Story page 4.
Photo: Janet Garcia, Cal-IPC Photo Contest 2005

Inside:
High-priority research needs for weeds………… 4
Stopping yellow starthistle in the Sierras………. 6
News from the Student Chapter ………………….. 7
Volunteers along San Francisco Bay ……………. 8
2009 Field Course Schedule ……………………….14

California
Invasive Plant
Council
1442-A Walnut Street, #462
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 843-3902
fax (510) 217-3500
www.cal-ipc.org
info@cal-ipc.org
A California 501(c)3 nonprofit organization

Protecting California’s natural areas
from wildland weeds through
research, restoration, and education.

STAFF
Doug Johnson, Executive Director
dwjohnson@cal-ipc.org

From the Director’s Desk

A truly “green” New Deal

al-IPC recently joined partner organizations, including the California Native
Grasslands Association (CNGA) and the California Society for Ecological Restoration
(SERCAL), in sending a letter to Congress and the incoming administration urging
them to consider environmental restoration work with any new funding for the nation’s
infrastructure. As our country works to maintain the systems that sustain it, we should be
sure to include not just the built environment, but also the natural resources that provide
essential ecosystem services. This
would follow the lead of progressive
agencies like California State Parks,
which has begun including natural
resources in their budgets for deferred
maintenance.

Elizabeth Brusati, Project Manager
edbrusati@cal-ipc.org
Heather Brady, Project Coordinator
hjbrady@cal-ipc.org
Bertha McKinley, Office Manager
bmckinley@cal-ipc.org
DIRECTORS
Jason Giessow, President (2009)
Santa Margarita/San Luis Rey Weed Management Area
Wendy West, Vice President (2009)
U.C. Cooperative Extension
Carolyn Cromer, Treasurer (2009)
The Land Trust of Napa County
John Knapp, Secretary (2009)
Native Range, Inc.
Dan Gluesenkamp, Past President (2009)
Audubon Canyon Ranch
Edith Allen (2010)
University of California-Riverside
Jason Casanova (2010)
Los Angeles/San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council
Doug Gibson (2010)
San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy
Henry Gonzales (2010)
Ventura County Department of Agriculture
Julie Horenstein (2010)
California Department of Fish & Game
Beth Keer (2009)
East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden
Marc Lea (2010)
San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture
Cheryl McCormick (2010)
Santa Lucia Conservancy
Tanya Meyer (2009)
Yolo County Resource Conservation District
Mark Newhouser (2009)
Sonoma Ecology Center
Affiliations for identification purposes only.
Last year of term noted.

Cal-IPC News

Winter 2009 – Volume 16, Number 4
Editors: Doug Johnson, Elizabeth Brusati, Heather Brady
Cal-IPC News is published quarterly by the California Invasive
Plant Council. Articles may be reprinted with permission from
the editor. Submissions are welcome. Mention of commercial
products does not imply endoresement by Cal-IPC. We reserve
the right to edit all work.

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

California Conservation Corps members removing arundo near Ukiah. Photo: John Griffith.

In terms of job creation, restoration
projects have the potential to put
many citizens to work. Roles range
from physical labor to project
management, and include significant
opportunities for professional training.
Many restoration efforts are limited
by available staffing, and a new work
force could increase the potential for
larger restoration projects.

Cal-IPC is already working
with partners whose roots lie in
Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 1930s. Today’s California Conservation Corps and twelve
local Conservation Corps are modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps that put
millions of men to work on the land during the Great Depression. Conservation Corps in
California provide labor for a range of projects, including invasive plant management, while
training youth in valuable work skills (see Cal-IPC News Winter 2006 and Spring 2004).
In 2009, Cal-IPC plans for the first time to hold field courses designed exclusively for
corps members. Over time, these efforts will grow and diversify the work force engaged in
restoration.
Before we can expand the work force, however, we need to protect current capacity
from the dangerous impacts of California’s ongoing budget crisis. Organizations performing
restoration work funded by voter-approved bond measures have been told to stop work,
and have not been paid for work already completed. This
puts enormous financial
stress on many organizations, while threatening project
success and potentially resetting the clock on invasive
plant populations being controlled. Please weigh in at
stopworkimpact.ning.com and come to our Day at
the Capitol advocacy event March 11 in Sacramento
(see p. 15).
Finally, Cal-IPC joined with The Nature
Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife, and the
Union of Concerned Scientists in developing an
action plan for strengthening invasive species
policy (pictured at left; see p.14 for url).

Wildland Weed NewsNewsNewsNewsNews
Cal-IPC Updates
Have you renewed for 2009?
Check the address label. Renew online
for faster processing and an instant
receipt.
www.cal-ipc.org/about/membership
Support us while searching online
Donate to Cal-IPC without spending
a dime! Go to www.goodsearch.com
and type “Cal-IPC” in the “Who do
you GoodSearch for?” box. We receive
1.3¢ for each search. Help Cal-IPC
even more by using the companion
site GoodShop. Those pennies add up!
www.goodsearch.com
Be the student chapter’s friend
Join their Facebook group and connect
with students interested in invasive
plants. See page 6.
Website updates
Our website now contains a list of
California WMAs with links to their
websites and profiles of those without
their own sites (www.cal-ipc.org/
WMAs). Also, reference lists for each
Plant Profiles now include newsletters

A great way to connect your local weed
events with broader themes in science: Year
of Science 2009 is a national celebration
with the goal of connecting the public
with science. Post your events on their
calendar. Each month has a theme. May’s
is Sustainability and the Environment;
September’s is Biodiversity and
Conservation. www.yearofscience2009.org
Are Burmese pythons on their way to
California? According to an article in the
February 2009 issue of Biological Invasions,
the snake that has been found in the
Everglades could survive much further
north, including along the California
coast to the San Francisco Bay Area, in the
Central Valley, and in most of the southern
California desert. As the climate warms,
more of the state will become suitable
habitat. The state of Florida is trying to
eradicate pythons before they escape the

and Proceedings through 2008.
www.cal-ipc.org
Chico Symposium presentations
Presentations and Proceedings papers
from the 2008 Symposium are now
online. Thanks to volunteer Dale
Smith for designing the Proceedings.
www.cal-ipc.org/symposia
Need materials for spring events?
Order “Don’t Plant a Pest!” brochures
for your region and statewide
brochures for Trees and Aquatic Plants.
Please order early to allow time for
mailing. $25 per 100 plus shipping.
Spring is also a good opportunity to
highlight the PlantRight program
for reducing ornamental plants.
PlantRight brochures are free. www.
cal-ipc.org/shop or call 510-843-3902.
Climate change comments
Cal-IPC submitted comments to the
CA Dept. of Fish & Game’s draft
Climate Change Action Plan. The
final plan is scheduled for release in
mid-2009.
www.dfg.ca.gov/climatechange

Florida peninsula. Rodda, G. H. et al. 2009.
Biological Invasions. 11:241–252
The California Department of Food and
Agriculture’s border inspection stations
will be featured on the ABC-TV series
“Homeland Security.” With the help
of CDFA’s Plant Pest Diagnostics Lab,
inspectors intercepted over 2,500 confirmed
exotic invasive species capable of causing
damage to California’s agricultural and
urban environments in 2008. www.cdfa.
ca.gov
A biocontrol agent released to control
saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) may be
doing its job too well. Diorhabda elongata
beetles were released to control saltcedar
in Utah. US Department of Agriculture
scientists did not think it could survive
below 38° latitude. However, individuals
not associated with USDA appear to
have released the beetle further south

and it is now defoliating saltcedar trees
used as nesting sites by the endangered
Southwestern willow flycatcher. The
Center for Biological Diversity has filed suit
against USDA for violating the Endangered
Species Act and is requesting an updated
consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife
Service for the saltcedar biocontrol program.
www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/birds/
southwestern_willow_flycatcher/pdfs/notice20081212.pdf
Researchers have identified water dispersal
as a new vector for spreading for Brazilian
peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolius), a South
American tree that causes serious problems
in Florida and also invades Southern
California. Birds and mammals also eat and
drop peppertree seeds. Donnelly, M. J., and
L. J. Walters. 2008. Estuaries and Coasts
31(5): 960-968. Read the abstract at erf.org/
cesn/vol31n5r2.html. Coastal and Estuarine
Science News, www.erf.org/cesn
Continued page 13…

Budget Update:
Like many other organizations, CalIPC has received a “stop work” order
on bond-funded projects.With the
tightening of foundation and state
funding, your year-end donations
are extremely valuable in helping us
maintain our programs. Thank you.
Cal-IPC will continue to advocate for
maintaining support to restoration
projects.

Correction:
Our Fall issue failed to acknowledge
Symposium sponsorship by the Los
Angeles Conservation Corps. We regret
the omission. Besides Los Angeles, local
conservation corps exist in Long Beach,
San Francisco East Bay, Fresno, Marin
County, Orange County, Sacramento,
San Francisco, San Jose, Tulare County,
San Gabriel Valley, and San Diego.
www.calcc.org

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

Feature

“We don’t know what we need to know”*
Identifying high-priority research needs for invasive plants
By Ramona Robison, UC Davis and California Botany, rarobison@ucdavis.edu

hat research is underway on invasive
plants in California? Who is doing
the research? What types of research would
land managers like to see in coming years?
How can this be accomplished?
These were the questions on the mind
of Cal-IPC and state weed program leaders
when they organized a meeting at UC Davis
in 2005. The group developed a list of
topic areas in need of research and started
on the process of gathering information.
The need for a compilation of research
needs also became clear during development
of the California Invasive Plant Inventory.
We lack basic biological information on
seed germination, temperature tolerances
and growth rates for many of the common
invasive plants in California.
The goals of the project were to:

Research Needs Topic Areas:
Biology & Ecology
Ecological Impacts
Distribution, Biogeography
& Range Modeling
Risk Assessment
Human Pathways & Prevention
Control & Management
Restoration
Economic Impacts
Social Issues
Policy & Laws

• Gather information on who is conducting invasive plant research in California
• Develop a summary on needs for invasive plant species research
• Conduct outreach to academics and
graduate students to stimulate work in
the priority areas
• Share results with the larger community of invasive species research and
management.
In 2008, the California Department of
Food and Agriculture (CDFA) provided
funding to move the project forward. The
final report lists 66 research needs in the
10 topic areas chosen in the 2005 meeting.
The report is based on interviews with 45
leading researchers in California and will be
available soon at www.cal-ipc.org. A list of
243 researchers is also available from CalIPC. They range from faculty at University
of California and California State campuses
to private colleges and universities such as
Stanford, Mills and St. Mary’s. UC Cooperative Extension and government scientists
at the California Department of Food and
*Jake Sigg at the 2005 Research Roundtable

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

noted a distinction between academic
research which could be completed by
faculty and graduate students, and policy
research which would be more appropriate for Cal-IPC or other non-government
organizations.

Research needs identified
The high-priority research needs include
a broad range of emphasis areas, from
impact analysis to specific management
strategies. The working group chose 17
specific high priority needs and also identified a need for overall synthesis of research
in biology and ecology; ecological impacts;
control and management; restoration; and
social issues.
Six of the priority needs focus on social
components of invasive plant management,
addressing economic, philosophical and
policy issues. Economic analysis was seen
as the highest priority overall by the work
group. We need much more information on
the costs to our economy of invasive plants.
Valuable “ecosystem services” provided by
natural communities can be irrevocably
altered by invasive plants but good methods
to quantify those losses are not readily available. Collaboration between economists and
ecologists is needed to achieve these goals.
Policy issues address several areas where

How do invasive plants affect wildlife?
An endangered California least tern chick
(Sterna antillarum) rests its head on a piece
of Arundo donax (giant reed) while taking
cover under invasive Cakile maritima (sea
rocket). Photo: John Hyde, NOAA, Cal-IPC
2005 Photo Contest
Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture, US Forest Service, and National Park
Service are included, as well as regional and
local non-profits who manage land.
A working group at the 2008 Symposium discussed prioritizing the research
needs identified in interviews. Participants

“We need what medicine
developed, a systematic review
of research using standardized
techniques.” Dan Gluesenkamp,
Audubon Canyon Ranch
Cal-IPC is active. Impacts caused by horticultural plants were also seen as a priority
for research. Cal-IPC’s participation in
the PlantRight Campaign has brought this
subject to a wider audience, but we do not
have information yet on whether this type
of voluntary industry self-regulation can be
effective in stemming the tide of horticultural introductions. Other policy and law

How can we address invasive horticultural plants?
The PlantRight committee visits a seed breeding
facility. Photo: Cal-IPC.
priorities for research included evaluating
the success of the WMA program in comparison to efforts in other states.

“How can key ecological processes
be replaced? An example, is
cutting equivalent to burning?”
Carla Bossard, St. Mary’s College
Other priority needs can be thought of
in the context of invasion stages: arrival, establishment, spread and impact. One priority addresses pathways of entry, the arrival
stage. We need more information on which
pathways of entry are facilitating introductions into California. Research can also be
conducted on where new plant invaders are
likely to originate, in order to aid pro-active
measures such as Early Detection Networks.

species were seen as priorities.
To what extent do wildlife use
invasive plants? Are the impacts
to wildlife positive or negative?
The impacts to the rest of the
ecosystem from invasive plant
removal was also a priority.

Monitoring effectiveness – Invasive
plant managers need an easy way to monitor
the effectiveness of eradication and restoration projects. Quick site-specific species
assessment methodology to help with prioritization and control would also be useful.

All of the priority needs
listed above would benefit from
development of statewide weed
maps for high priority species.
Although this is not a research
project on its own, gathering
this information in one location
would facilitate new research
projects as well as regional efforts
in management and prioritization.

“The whole social science world is
a huge research gap. We are not
good at telling stories about our
work with numbers.”
Pete Holloran, UC Santa Cruz

In addition to subjects for academic research, participants in the
working group and interviews also identified the need for education and training on
specific topics:
Modeling for land managers – Models need to be adapted so that they can be
used by land managers. Training could
be provided through Cal-IPC or another
centralized organization to help with use
of the models. Modeling is also needed for
prioritization at the Weed Management
Area level.
Grazing – Some invasive plant managers need to be educated on the basic facts
of grazing. This type of training could be
made available through Cal-IPC or UC
Cooperative Extension.

Horticultural invasives – Social science research is needed to determine the
best ways to change attitudes and practices
about horticultural plants. What information is currently distributed to horticulture
professionals and the general public, and is
it effective?
Communicating with the public – The
invasive plant management community
could learn to take advantage of windows of
opportunity in our community to spread a
message. For example, we could learn to be
“on message” by incorporating information
on the PlantRight Campaign into our daily
work and communications.

Information for graduate students
The final report includes a list of funding sources for graduate students. Public
agencies interviewed, such as the National
Continued page 12…

Management of invasive plants begins
at the establishment and spread stages of
a plant invasion. Several needs relate to
general management (spread along roads,
restoration), and two of them relate specifically to managing the seedbank. More information is needed on the seed biology of a
wide variety of plants to develop long-term
management strategies. Methods to encourage rapid seed germination (flushing the
seedbank) would also benefit land managers.
Standardizing monitoring was also seen as
important for determining which management strategies are most successful.
Impacts caused by invasive plants once
they arrive, and specifically the impacts
to wildlife and endangered or threatened

What is the best way to manage the seedbank? Heather Schneider of UC Riverside collects
soil seedbank cores in Joshua Tree National Park. Photo courtesy H. Schneider

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

Stopping yellow starthistle at its leading edge
By Wendy West, UC Cooperative Extension El Dorado County and Cal-IPC Vice-President, wkwest@ucdavis.edu

ellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) is one of the most ecologically and economically damaging invasive plants in California. Although
areas of California remain uninfested,
yellow starthistle (YST) has shown
it can invade most bioregions. YST
has invaded the foothills of the Sierra
Nevada Mountains and is poised to
expand into the higher elevations
including the Lake Tahoe Basin and
Yosemite National Park.
Yellow starthistle is capable of
growing, and has been detected in
small populations, at high elevation locations in California’s Sierra
Mountains including the Lake Tahoe
Basin and Yosemite National Park.
It has long been the consensus of
the invasive weed community that
the coordination of early detection
and rapid response strategies are key
in preventing the spread of invasive
weeds. The Sierra Nevada Mountains
and their important natural values
— 12.9 million acres of public lands,
48 threatened and endangered plant
and animals species, timber producSierra Nevada foothill counties participating in the
tion and recreational and property
regional project. Map courtesy Wendy West
values — can be protected by stopping
the eastern spread of YST along a “noA coordinated, regional project to conspread” line in the fourteen county Sierra
trol YST populations at an eastern leading
foothills region.
edge line across the Sierra foothill counties, from Plumas to Kern, was initiated
by the California Department of Food and
Agriculture (CDFA) in 2007. This project
is one of the first in California to address
invasive species in a coordinated manner
over a large region. Project elements include:
1) surveying, mapping and control of YST
at the eastern leading edge, 2) detection and
eradication of outlier YST populations beyond the “no-spread” line, 3) establishment
of a centralized GIS database to document
results and 4) “Yellow Starthistle Prevention Areas” along the YST stop-the-spread
line with educational signage and contact
information for when YST populations are
detected in the designated area. By implementing a regional-scale early detection and
Treatment of hard-to-reach yellow
eradication plan utilizing the Weed Manstarthistle in the Merced River canyon.
agement Area (WMA) infrastructure and a
Photo courtesy Wendy West
project coordinator, collaboration among

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

landowners and local, state and federal agencies has increased to utilize
resources more effectively.
In 1999 and 2000 CDFA conducted a YST detection survey along
major and secondary roadways in the
Sierra Nevada foothills. Based on this
data, several counties in the region
have established YST “no-spread”
lines and identified outlier populations to eradicate east of the leading
edge line. The goal of this project
is to expand these detection survey,
mapping and control/treatment efforts across the entire foothill region.
A project coordinator from
University of California Cooperative
Extension was hired by CDFA in late
2007 to facilitate grant administration, federal, state and local stakeholder and agency coordination, and
to identify the barriers and needs of
the local WMA to participate and
succeed in implementing the project.
Twelve WMA groups within the
region developed work plans and received $5000 mini-grants for survey,
mapping and/or control/eradication
work during the 2008 field season.
Lead agencies on the project included
County Agriculture Departments, University of California Cooperative Extension
and Resource Conservation Districts. Six
WMAs completed detection survey and
mapping work to produce a baseline data
set for their county, while the remaining
WMAs completed survey and mapping of
historical populations plus treatment of
YST. Priority areas for survey and mapping
included: burned areas, construction and
road development sites, high risk areas near
threatened and endangered species, important wildlife habitat and high value timber
and recreation areas.
The project coordinator worked with
each WMA to identify barriers and needs to
implement the leading edge project successfully. Identified needs included: 1) longterm funding for on-the-ground survey and
control/eradication activities; 2) challenges
in hiring trained, seasonal and/or part-time
Continued page 11…

Getting to know the Cal-IPC Student Chapter
By Heather Schneider, Cal-IPC Student Chapter Co-chair, University of California, Riverside, calipcsc@gmail.com

s the Cal-IPC Student Chapter continues to move forward with its mission to
bring students and professionals together,
we thought it would be nice to introduce
ourselves to the members of Cal-IPC. To
that end, the student chapter will include
short biographies of our student members
in addition to updates on our activities and
accomplishments. We feel that sharing our
own stories and research interests is important for creating a network of people who
share interests and ideas. So if you read
a bio that sounds interesting to you and
you’d like to know more (or better yet, to
mentor that person), don’t hesitate to let us
know. We all have a lot to share and a lot to
learn…so let’s do it!

currently researches invasive plant invasion
effects on ecosystem processes. Her research
interests include: exotic plant ecology, soil
ecology, above and belowground feedbacks,
ecosystem biogeochemical cycling in reference to exotic plant invasion, and fire and
restoration ecology.
Heather Schneider, UC Riverside
Heather grew up in the Chicago area
where she enjoyed the city atmosphere, as
well as the outdoors. Having always been
interested in science, Heather obtained a
Bachelor of Science degree from Elmhurst
College in 2005. She moved to California
in the fall of 2005 and began a PhD program at UC Riverside in the Department of
Botany and Plant Sciences.

Heather’s research focuses on the effects of invasive
annual grasses and nitrogen
deposition on native annual
forbs in California deserts.
Her experiments include
looking at the effects of
grass removal and nitrogen
fertilization on native annual forbs, examining soil
seed banks, seed germination at multiple nitrogen
Sara Jo Dickens at a prescribed burn on the Santa Rosa
levels, and seedling growth
Plateau. Photo: Carole Bell
under different water and
nitrogen levels.

Chapter Co-chairs

Sara Jo Dickens, UC Riverside (by Sara Jo
Dickens)
Sara Jo spent her childhood in the farm
and woodlands of Minnesota. Following
undergraduate research in northern Minnesota, she became dedicated to understanding
plant invasion and how its effects could be
reversed.
Sara Jo earned a Bachelor of Arts degree
in Biology at the University of Colorado,
Boulder in 2003. She returned to Minnesota to work for the US Forest Service
controlling invasive plants and gained an
appreciation for the challenges of managing
wild lands.
In 2005, she entered the University of
California, Riverside’s Botany and Plant
Sciences graduate studies program where she

What have we been up to lately?
• Created an outreach program to educate
the public about invasives plants. We
have used it at 10 plant
sales in southern California so far!

Join us!
Email:
calipcsc@gmail.com
Facebook: Search for the CalIPC student chapter or use the
link at www.cal-ipc.org (under
“What’s New”).
a student recruitment luncheon, and
acted as volunteers, speakers, and poster
presenters.
• Designed and sold t-shirts to raise funds
for the chapter (shirts sold out!).
• Contacted local teachers about getting
involved with children’s education.
• Wrote an introductory article for the
Santa Ana River/Orange County WMA
newsletter.
• Attended the December Cal-IPC board
meeting to share updates and ideas.
• Contacted students at UC Santa Cruz,
UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, and UC
Irvine and provided them with branch
start up materials.
• Created a Facebook page.
The student chapter has many more activities planned for 2009. See the box above
for how to contact them and learn more.

• Established contacts and
collaborations with three
Weed Management
Areas, Santa Ana Watershed Association, and a
Resource Conservation
District.
• Attended the Cal-IPC
Symposium in Chico,
set up a booth about
the student chapter, ran

Cal-IPC Student Chapter. Front: Sara Jo Dickens, Heather
Schneider, Robin Marushia, Oli Bachie. Back: Sarah
Pasquini, Kai Palenscar, Milt McGiffen, Mike Bell

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

East Bay volunteers head to the hills and the shores
By Susan Schwartz, Friends of Five Creeks, f5creeks@aol.com. Photos by Susan Schwartz.

“I pay my therapist $125 an
hour and I don’t get anywhere
near as much benefit from it as I
do spending an hour out here!”
“This is as good a workout as
the gym!”

(Rubus ulmifolia) from the banks of Cerrito
Creek, a small but historic creek on the
Alameda-Contra Costa County boundary.
The blackberry’s whip-like canes formed an
impenetrable jungle that hid trees, spanned
the creek, trapped silt and garbage, and
increased floods.

“People love pulling those big bushes,”
Tokuda said. “It gives everyone such a concrete feeling of accomplishment at the end
of the day, to see a large cleared area and a
huge pile of brush. But for me what is satisfying is to see the native plants re-emerge,
especially the grasses.”

Those are typical comments among the
growing number of city dwellers volunteering to help remove invasives from the
Berkeley-Oakland Hills to the shoreline east
of San Francisco Bay. Loosely under the auspices of Friends of Five Creeks, an all-volunteer watershed-restoration group, projects
over the last 10 years have included handpulling yellow starthistle on the shoreline
from Berkeley into Richmond (successful)
and pulling, digging, and cutting perennial
pepperweed along the same shoreline (only
containment achieved so far).
Working with the cities of Berkeley,
Albany, and El Cerrito, as well as the East
Bay Regional Park District, Friends of
Five Creeks volunteers also have wrenched
out a forest of 10-foot-high broom plants
from Eastshore State Park, pickaxed big
Pampas grass clumps, pulled out creekside
tangles of cape ivy and Bayshore carpets of
ice plant, and freed Mortar Rock Park – a
Native American seed-processing site in
Berkeley – from smothering Algerian ivy.
They are gradually digging out almost a
half mile of evergreen thornless blackberry

UC Berkeley students pull ice plant at
Point Isabel with Greens at Work.

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

eventually, transportation. Work had started
near a parking lot, but so much broom has
been cleared that volunteers often travel
2.5 miles to work sites. Slathered with
poison-oak block, they also venture far off
trails, sometimes discovering – and rescuing
– beautiful meadows.

The Redwood Regional Park project
now offers two events monthly: broom removal on second Saturdays on the ridgetop,
and lighter work such as removing ivy and
vinca on third Sundays in the Redwood
Creek canyon.

Friends of Five Creeks is one of many local
watershed groups that hold regular work
parties in the East Bay.
With F5C, small-scale projects and
maintenance are handled by the Weekday
Weed Warriors, who work for a couple of
hours on Tuesday mornings, followed by
coffee and chat. Large work parties, usually 10 to 40 people, do the heavy work,
including erosion control and re-planting
with appropriate natives. The group hosts
almost 50 work parties a year, including
monthly work parties open to all and events
for religious, business, service, and student
groups. UC Berkeley students are a major
source of help.
To the south, in Oakland, another
major volunteer effort started in 2004,
when Wendy Tokuda, a well-known local
newscaster with CBS Channel 5, got tired
of watching broom take over the ridgetop
trails and views in Redwood Regional Park,
where she walks her dog. The park supervisor loaned her a weed wrench and showed
her how to use it. Passers-by joined in. The
project soon grew to a regular event, with
East Bay Regional Park District supplying
tools, snacks, green-waste removal, and,

A sibling project is doing wonders in
Beaconsfield Canyon, a neglected city park
in the steep Oakland Hills. With memories of the 1991 Oakland firestorm strong,
Richard Kauffman, who lives in one of the
homes edging the canyon, explained that he
got started when he found himself “looking over his backyard fence and seeing this
disaster waiting to happen.”
“I was skeptical about getting volunteers.
I didn’t have time. I’m not an organizer,”
Kauffman said. Only six people showed up
at the first work party, on Earth Day 2007.

The weed worker’s exercise program: Haul
that broom!

natives. They have found almost 50 species of native plants surviving, including locally rare black cottonwood. “I’m
spending more time on the canyon than
ever,” Kauffman says, “since I’m now on
the board of FOSC. But I’m learning a
tremendous amount about ecology and
native plants and how our work is part
of the larger effort to protect the entire
watershed.”

Berkeley High students roll ivy at Mortar
Rock to make removing the ivy more
manageable.
One of them was Wendy Tokuda. “I had
in mind putting it on the city’s shoulders,”
Kauffman laughed. “She said I should have
regular work parties instead: ‘Little by little,
things will get done. A few people will show
up, and that’s OK. So which Saturday do
you want to do it?’
“We’ve had monthly work days ever
since.”

High school students tackle pepperweed
along the shores of San Francisco Bay.
In the last year and a half, Beaconsfield’s
small band of volunteers has hauled out over
100 cubic yards of broom, thistle, Himalayan blackberry, ivy and other invasives.
Once the workdays got going, the Oakland
Fire Department took a greater interest,
establishing a three-year clearing program
to do the heavy work that volunteers could
not.
Friends of Sausal Creek, a very active
local watershed group, adopted the project,
helping with publicity, organizing planting days, and donating hundreds of plants
from their nursery, which propagates local

Another citizen-led volunteer effort
is headed by Berkeley environmentalists
Tom and Jane Kelly. During summer
evening bicycle rides on the Bay Trail,
they became concerned with the thickets
of broom, fennel, and ice plant edging the
trail. They started removal on their own in
2007, picking a highly visible, popular area:
the trail next to Point Isabel Regional Park,
in Richmond. From a revegetation project
they had completed on Berkeley’s Strawberry Creek, they already had some tools, a
contact list, and a name – Greens at Work.
Volunteers began showing up right away.
“After a couple of run-ins with East
Bay Regional Park staff who asked us what
we were up to, we decided
to formalize our activities,”
Tom Kelly recalls. “And the
piled-up plant debris along the
trail was giving the EBRPD
staff unscheduled work.” Park
Supervisor Kevin Takei quickly
became a valued partner, supplying green-waste containers
as well as weed wrenches and
other tools.
Greens at Work now has
monthly work parties except
in the hottest months. Groups
average 10-20, swelling to 30
or more when schools organize service days.
Work has moved more than a
quarter mile north from the
starting point, and broom and
fennel no longer block the
view of adjacent Hoffmann
Marsh.

To find out more or join in:
• Beaconsfield Canyon:
www.sausalcreek.org,
coordinator@sausalcreek.org
• Friends of Five Creeks:
www.fivecreeks.org,
f5creeks@aol.com,
• Greens at Work:
www.kyotousa.org,
kyotousa@sbcglobal.net
• Redwood Park: www.ebparks.
org, pbeitz@ebparks.org
Many other Bay Area groups
remove invasives and re-establish
natives, in a wide variety of
sites and for many reasons,
including improving habitat for
endangered species. To find other
Bay Area volunteer invasivesremoval projects:
• Click on the map at www.
fivecreeks.org
• Check the calendar at www.
baynature.org/events/calview
• Find East Bay Regional Parks
work days at www.ebparks.
org/getinvolved/volunteer/
operations

Local agencies provide dumpsters for
removing weed debris.

“It does mean that other
exotics show up,” Tom Kelly
said. “But we are continuing
to reduce their numbers.”
And the couple has begun
growing natives for replanting, with seeds harvested from
the site.

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

Chasing weeds from Maine to California
D

r. Lois Berg Stack is visiting UC
Davis and working with the California Horticultural Invasives Prevention
partnership while on sabbatical from the
University of Maine. Cal-IPC interviewed
Lois to learn her impressions of the West
Coast.

What is your position in Maine?
I am UMaine’s Extension Specialist in
Ornamental Horticulture. I work statewide
with the ornamental horticulture industry:
people who grow plants (nurseries and garden centers); people who sell plants (garden
centers and florists); and people who design/
install/maintain plants (the landscape industry and arborists). I also work with home
gardeners, public gardens, and municipalities. I began my job in 1987. For the first
ten years, I also taught three classes in the
Landscape Horticulture program. I am also
a Professor of Sustainable Agriculture, and
when I return to Maine in September 2009,
I’ll teach a course in that program.
I completed an M.S. in floriculture
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
and worked for a few years at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Then I returned to
UW-Madison and completed a Ph.D. in
Horticulture Education. My program was
interdisciplinary, combining horticultural
science, agricultural journalism and adult
education – it provided great training for a
career in Cooperative Extension.

How did you become interested in
invasive plants?
I always look for projects that address
the needs of more than one of my client
groups, and the issue of invasive plants is a
great example. As the number of requests
for information about identifying and managing invasive plants has increased steadily, I
have realized that this issue affects all of my
client groups. Of course, Maine is home to
some invasive plants, but it has not experienced as many severe problems as many
other states, for several reasons: the state’s
watersheds are mostly contained within its
boundaries so it doesn’t inherit problems
from other states; Maine people have a long
tradition of valuing the state’s natural heri-

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

tage; Maine’s population is small; and huge
tracts of the state remain in the hands of
relatively few companies that manage forest
resources (although major development is
pending). With other New England states
implementing invasive plant regulations,
my clients have expressed various opinions
about the desirability of similar action in
Maine. This is the perfect time for education.

What weed work occurs in Maine?
Maine has a long agricultural tradition,
and its agronomic weeds are similar to those
of most northern states. Several researchers at UMaine work on the ecology and

Lois Berg Stack at the UC Santa Cruz
Arboretum with Cal-HIP.
management of weeds, notably in potatoes
and other field crops, lowbush blueberries
and hayfields.
Invasive aquatic plants have gained notoriety, as Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriopyllum
spicatum) has recently invaded two Maine
lakes. Only 29 of Maine’s 5,700 ponds and
lakes contain any species of invasive plants.
Both UMaine and several state government
agencies work hard to educate people and
prevent more invasions.
Among invasive terrestrial plants, our
wetlands have long been invaded by purple
loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), and common reed (Phragmites australis) is increasingly evident in southern and coastal Maine
wetlands. Japanese knotweed (Fallopia
japonica) is common along roadsides and in
developed landscapes. Black swallowwort

(Cynanchum louiseae) envelops roadside
shrubs, and Asiatic bittersweet (Celastrus
orbiculatus) strangles trees. Shrubs that invade fields and woods-edges include autumn
olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), burningbush
(Euonymus alatus), common buckthorn
(Rhamnus cathartica), glossy buckthorn
(Frangula alnus), Japanese barberry (Berberis
thunbergii), Morrow’s and tatarian honeysuckles (Lonicera morowii and L. tatarica),
and multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora).
Norway maple (Acer platanoides) is now seen
in the canopy of some forests, and garlic
mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is invading the
understory.
Among the invasive plant research
projects at UMaine, I’ve collaborated with
two of my UMaine colleagues and three
University of Connecticut colleagues in the
past few years through the New England
Invasive Plant Center. The UConn group is
developing super-sterile cultivars of popular
landscape plants that are invasive; assessing
cultivars of some popular invasive shrubs
to compare seed production and invasive
potential; and evaluating native alternatives to invasive plants. At UMaine, we’ve
developed educational materials, conducted
a survey of nursery industry and home
gardener attitudes about invasive plants, and
developed some field trials of native plants
as alternatives to invasive plants. We’re also
mapping the incidence of burningbush and
Japanese barberry throughout the state, and
using DNA markers and assessing other biological and environmental factors to analyze
why Japanese barberry is so invasive. And,
our UMaine group is collaborating with
Acadia National Park to address some of its
more serious invasive plant problems. We’re
assessing the ecological impact and spread of
Japanese barberry and purple loosestrife in
the Park, and analyzing the traits that contribute to increased vigor of these two plants
within various ecosystems of the Park.

Why did you come to California?
When I decided to focus on invasive
plants during my sabbatical leave, I contacted many people for ideas. A friend at
USDA suggested UC Davis, and Dr. Joe
DiTomaso specifically. I had used a book
Joe co-authored, Weeds of the Northeast,
Continued page 12 …

Yellow starthistle from page …
staff to complete the work; 3) Global Position System and Geographic Information
System mapping training; 4) improved
coordination with agencies and large landowners at the local, state and federal levels;
5) additional control and eradication tools,
including the use of herbicides, which could
require additional environmental assessment
documentation by state and federal land
management agencies; and 6) engagement
of private landowners and access to private
lands.
Mapping data from 2000 to 2007, beyond the roadway data collected by CDFA
in 2000, was collected from the foothill
counties, when available, and incorporated
into CDFA’s yellow starthistle database.
Initial analysis of the data revealed that YST
moved east and gained 1200 feet in elevation along Highway 4 in Calaveras County
between 2000 and 2007 — a good example
of YST “marching” into the Sierras when
left unchecked.
Mapping training was conducted for 25
WMA participants in March 2008 and data
collected from government agencies, utility
companies, and large private landowners. To date, 24,700 gross acres and 2,950
miles of roadway have been surveyed and
mapped for YST. Treatment in the region
has included hand pulling YST on 24 acres
and 41 miles of roadway and treating 137
net acres with herbicide. Educational and
outreach efforts have reached 1950 landowners via surveys, workshops, informational booths at events, presentations at
commission and homeowner associations
meetings and during site visits with private
landowners.
This project has highlighted the success
and momentum that can be achieved with
a regional, coordinated approach. Currently, funding sources are being sought
to continue the project and expand on the
collaborative efforts.

EPPCs and IPCs gather in Nashville
By Doug Johnson. Photos by Ruark Cleary.

he National Association of Exotic Pest Plant Councils held its first ever conference in
Nashville last October. Representatives from state EPPCs and IPCs came from all regions of the country to discuss their programs and plan national strategy. Currently, over 30
states have active groups, with more forming each year. Florida’s is the country’s oldest and
California’s is the largest (few others have any paid staff ).
One main effort moving forward is the
development of a national early detection
system. The Invasive Plant Atlas of New
England has developed a successful volunteer program to map invasive plant occurrences, and several other systems also exist,
such as EDDMapS in conjunction with
the Southeast EPPC and iMapInvasives in
conjunction with The Nature Conservancy
and NatureServe.
The conference was held jointly with
the Natural Areas Association’s 35th Annual
Conference (NAA serves the staff of state
natural areas programs). Twenty-four field
trips gave attendees plenty of opportunity
to see regional weeds like oriental bittersweet, as well as spectacular Cumberland Plateau
scenery like Greeter Falls (below). An evening reception at the historic Ryman Auditorium,
original home of the Grand Ol’ Opry, included the traditional competition for “Prairie
Fire”, a combination of a drip torch and tequila shots that goes to the team bidding the
highest donation to NAA. The NAEPPC crew (above) won a spirited round of bidding over
a determined Midwest restoration contingent.
Following the theme of “Tuning Into A Changing Climate And Biological Invasion”,
keynote speakers included Larry Schweiger, President of the National Wildlife Federation; Dan Simberloff, ecologist at the University of Tennessee; and Dick Mack, ecologist
from Washington State
University, on the
interrelations of climate
change, biofuels, and
invasive species. Cal-IPC
Executive Director Doug
Johnson participated in a
panel discussion on weed
management areas and
gave a presentation on
using predictive mapping
to support early detection programs.

For more information:
Wendy West’s Symposium presentation:
www.cal-ipc.org/symposia/archive/index.php.

For more information:

CDFA Encycloweedia: www.cdfa.ca.gov/
phpps/ipc/encycloweedia/encycloweedia_
hp.htm.

Conference presentations with audio and video: www.naturalarea.org/08Conference

NAEPPC: www.naeppc.org
Invasive Plant Atlas of New England: nbii-nin.ciesin.columbia.edu/ipane/index.htm
EDDMapS: www.eddmaps.org
iMapInvasives: www.imapinvasives.org

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

Lois Berg Stack, from page 10
almost daily for several years, so I knew of
him. I contacted him, and he said that he
was starting some collaborative projects with
Cal-IPC, and would be happy to host my
stay in Davis. I’m having a blast here, and
am learning so much!

What projects are you working on?
I’m currently involved in two projects,
both very collaborative in nature, and I’m
preparing to work on a third.
First, in conjunction with Joe, Cal-IPC
and Cal-HIP, and the California Master
Gardener Program, we’re surveying 4100
Master Gardeners throughout the state to
determine where they seek information
about invasive plants, whether they think
the sale of invasive plants should be restricted, whether they think new ornamental
plants should be screened for invasiveness
before being introduced, and what invasive
plant-related activities they’ve participate in.
The results of this survey will help all the
participating groups more effectively deliver
information to Master Gardeners and other
home gardeners. We’re also hoping to
recruit some of the Master Gardeners to
participate in some very creative volunteer
projects.
Second, I’m collaborating with Joe,
Cal-IPC and Cal-HIP to evaluate two Weed
Risk Assessment (WRA) tools. These are
spreadsheets that assess the invasive potential of plants based on biological traits,
invasive history elsewhere, and climate
matching between plants’ native range and
areas into which they are introduced. While
California may never be rid of the invasive
plants that are already here, future invasions
could be avoided through good screening procedures. One of the WRA tools,
Paul Pheloung’s model from Australia, has
proven 90% effective in predicting invasive-

ness, but it is enormously time-consuming.
The second WRA tool is a streamlined version of the Pheloung model. We’re trying to
determine if the streamlined version works
as well as the more robust model. That
would make it a much easier and less expensive tool for the nursery industry, which
introduces many plants every year. In our
project, we’re applying the WRA models to
the Arboretum All-Stars (arboretum.ucdavis.
edu), which are outstanding landscape plants
selected by the UC Davis’s California Center for Urban Horticulture (CCUH). We
hope to add “certified non-invasive” labels
to these plants in CCUH’s future literature;
this will raise home gardeners’ awareness of
invasive plants, and think about avoiding
invasive plants in their landscapes.
And third, California’s many educational
efforts, research projects and organizational
resources that address invasive plants provide a fantastic model for other states. I’m
working with Joe and the team at Cal-IPC
to define a project in which we will develop
profiles of businesses that have successfully
transitioned away from invasive plants.
Green industry professionals in Maine
and other states could learn so much from
California.

How do you spend your time when
you’re not thinking about weeds?
In Maine, I garden a lot. My husband
Phil and I live in an old New England farmhouse. Much of our landscape is devoted to
native plants, and we have a big vegetable
garden where grow most of our own food.
Oops … I guess that involves thinking
about weeds, doesn’t it?
In California, we’ve been exploring. We
try to go to a new place every weekend. We
visited family in Washington and Oregon
over Thanksgiving break, and we’re going
to camp in Death Valley over the holiday

break. I’m always asking people about their
favorite places, favorite restaurants, favorite
bicycle routes. I’ve asked people about their
favorite wines, but I don’t think I have time
to follow through on all of them!

And finally… Do you miss winter?
No!
Research needs from page …
Park Service, indicated they sometimes need
graduate students to work on funded project
that are already in place. This indicates the
need to develop active networks between
agency biologists and research institutions.
Some federal agencies have programs that
hire students during summer and place
them in jobs after graduation. Cal-IPC
now has an active student chapter at UC
Riverside which can serve as a model for
future groups.

Next Steps
The Research Needs Assessment will
help bring new researchers to questions that
are holding back effective weed work. It
will also help focus funding on projects that
address broad questions.
The future of the research needs project
will depend upon the willingness of the
research and management communities to
stay engaged in the process. Another meeting of experts would be useful to maintain
the momentum in this effort, specifically
addressing the priority needs and identifying
funding sources to initiate research projects.
Since graduate students were not specifically
targeted in preparing the document, they
could be surveyed to gauge the applicability
and usefulness of the funding information
to their needs. Finally, some of the collaboration needs identified during the process
could be addressed at upcoming Cal-IPC
Symposia through invited speakers and
working groups focusing on economic and
social science issues.

For more information:
View information on this project, including
the final report and notes from the 2005
meeting, at www.cal-ipc.org/ip/research/
roundtable.php.
Comparing the effectiveness of treatments such
as burning to other methods was one of the
research needs identified. Left: Burning yellow
starthistle. Photo: Joe DiTomaso.

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

Thank You for Supporting our Work!

Donors

Your tax-deductible donations are extremely valuable in supporting our programs. This list represents donations received through
December 31. Thank you!
Stewardship Circle ($1,000+)
Jake Sigg (San Francisco)
Bos Williams (Guernville)
Patron ($500-$999)
Gladys Baird (Encinitas)
Meryl Faulkner (La Jolla)
Michael Swimmer (Los Angeles)
Champion ($250-$499)
David Chang & Mary Giaimo
(Santa Barbara)
Ann Howald (Sonoma)
Dan Knapp (Los Angeles)

Contributor ($100-$249)
John P. Anderson (San Francisco)
Linda Anderson (Felton)
Jason Casanova (La Crescenta)
Sarah Chaney (Ventura)
John Ekhoff (Long Beach)
Douglas Gettinger (Vista)
Doug Gibson (Encinitas)
Nelroy Jackson (Corona)
Carolyn Johnson (Sebastopol)
Beth Keer (Oakland)
Dawn Lawson (Encinitas)
Mike Peters (Fallbrook)
Carri Pirosko (Burney)
Bree Richardson (Mountain View)
Bill Winans (San Diego)

Friend (up to $99)
Darlene Chirman (Santa Barbara)
Leif Christiansen
John Copeland (Chico)
Judy Fenerty (San Jose)
Dogwood Garden Club (Pollock Pines)
Mary Gutekanst (Brisbane)
Julie Horenstein (Sacramento)
Marla Knight (Ft Jones)
Richard McCann (Davis)
William Neill (North Hollywood)
Christal Niederer (Foster City)
Bruce Saito (Long Beach)
Susan Schwartz (Berkeley
Lincoln Smith (Albany)
Dan Songster (Lake Forest)
Donna Thompson (Crescent City)
Tony Varnhagen (San Francisco)
Peter Warner (Mendocino)
Matthew & Joann Zlatunich (San Francisco)

New Members
Dave Abercrombie (Oakland), Sarah Austing (USFWS San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Newark), Steven Barrett
(City of Los Angeles Public Works Dept, Valencia), Angela Bates (Stanislaus Department of Agriculture, Modesto), CNPS Sierra
Foothills Chapter (Jamestown), Zach Coffman (USFWS San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Newark), Ione Conlan
(Conlan Ranches California, Valley Ford), Donna Dormody (Carmel Garden Club, Carmel), Jerah Frye (UC Davis Natural
Reserve System, Davis), Marc Gomes (Monterey County, Monterey), Juliana Gonzalez (SPAWNERS, Richmond), Ilima Hawkins
(Southern Low Desert RC&D, Indio), Christopher Hon (Hungry Valley SVRA, Lebec), Marya Johnston-McIntosh (Presidio Park
Stewards Program, San Francisco), Wendy Jones (Pepperwood Preserve, Santa Rosa), Nicole Jurjavcic (Stillwater Sciences, Berkeley),
Patrick Kearns (USFWS San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Newark), Christine Kotula (Carlsbad), Elizabeth Lanham
(City of San Jose Arborist Office, San Jose), Teri Macias (Laguna de Santa Rosa, Cloverdale), Meg Marriott (USFWS San Francisco
Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Newark), Michelle Murphy (Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, San Francisco), Virginia
Palacias (Americorps, San Rafael), Sierra Perry (Moss Landing Marine Labs, Moss Landing), Camille Peterson (Friends of Five
Creeks, Berkeley), Bruce Weidman (City of Walnut Creek, Walnut Creek)
News from page 3…
Nature Conservancy researchers culled
data from 350 databases and other
sources to synthesize information on 329
marine invasive species, including their
distribution, impacts on biodiversity, and
introduction pathways. An online database
highlights the invasive groups that are most
threatening and provides a framework
to prioritize the invasion pathways that
pose the greatest threat. Molnar et al.
2008. Frontiers in Ecology and the
Environment. 6(9): 485–492. www.nature.
org/marineinvasions

An invasive plant has been transformed
into biofuel by villagers in Nepal. Villagers
harvest invasive Eupatorium, burn it into
charcoal, then form briquettes. This process
allows them to avoid cutting trees for fuel
and the briquettes produce less smoke than
wood fires. See a video at www.cnn.com/
video/#/video/tech/2008/12/25/rivers.nepal.
charcoal.cnn.

A study in Spain compared attitudes of
several stakeholder groups towards invasive
species. Tourists were most likely to say
they were willing to pay for eradication
while local users (farmers, beekeepers)
were the least willing. Species that had
been introduced recently were more widely
recognized as invasive. García-Llorente,
M. et al. 2008. Biological Conservation.
141(12):2969-2983.

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

Readings & Resources
Know of a resource that should be shared here? Send it to edbrusati@cal-ipc.org.
Cal-IPC listservs
Did you know that Cal-IPC maintains
two listservs to facilitate communication
among California weed workers? Cal Weed
Talk is a forum for discussing invasive
plants and their management. Cal Weed
Jobs allows subscribers to receive or post
announcements of available positions.
To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to
californiaweedtalk-subscribe@topica.com or
calweedjobs-subscribe@topica.com.
TNC Invasipedia
The Nature Conservancy’s Global
Invasive Species Team has consolidated its
information on invasive species control
methods into an online wiki format. Field
workers and academic researchers with
expertise on a particular species are invited
to contribute information.
invasipedia.ucdavis.edu/doku.php
Managing weeds in forests
The Winter 2009 issue of California
Forestland Steward focuses on managing
weeds in forest lands, with tips on weed
prevention and creating an integrated weed
management plan. ceres.ca.gov/foreststeward/
html/newsletter.html
Action plan for Obama administration
The National Environmental Coalition on
Invasive Species (NECIS) has produced an
action plan with recommendations for the
new administration and Congress.
www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/invasive_
species/NECIS-brochure.pdf
DVD for hunters and anglers
The USDA Forest Service has produced
a DVD on invasive species for hunters
and anglers. “Defending Favorite Places”
features invasive species information and
testimonies of sportsmen and women. The
27 min. DVD is available for free or may be
downloaded from the Forest Service website.
www.fs.fed.us/invasivespecies/prevention/
defending.shtml

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

Weed calendar
The Alien Plant Working Group’s Invasive
Plant Calendar for 2009 is now available
for downloading and printing. www.nps.
gov/plants/alien/pubs/calendar.htm
Recommendations for weed laws
“Updating Weed Laws to Increase Efficient
Management of Plant Invasions” states
that developing noxious weed lists tiered
by the plant’s invasion stage (new weed or
widespread) can guide allocation of scarce
public resources to the management of
prioritized noxious weeds, including those
that require a rapid response.
www.weedcenter.org/Newsletter/08_
12weedlaw_final.pdf
Invasive plant training website
The Center for Invasive Plant Management
and the US Fish and Wildlife Service
National Wildlife Refuge System have
developed an educational website for natural
resource managers. “Managing Invasive
Plants: Concepts, Principles, and Practices”
provides an overview of invasive plant
management and planning supported by
case studies, quizzes, scientific literature, and
web-based resources. www.fws.gov/invasives/
staffTrainingModule/index.html
Economic brief from USDA
“Integrating Invasive Species Prevention and
Control Policies” by Michael Livingston
and Craig Osteen synthesizes results from
USDA economic research programs. The
authors describe the factors that influence
whether a program should emphasize
prevention or control. 8 pp.
www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EB11
Report on Great Lakes invaders
“Predicting Future Introductions of
Nonindigenous Species to the Great
Lakes”. predicts the spread of aquatic
nonindigenous species into the Great Lakes
to help resource managers focus monitoring
activities. cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.
cfm?deid=190305

2009 Wildland
Weed Field
Courses
Cal-IPC’s full-day field courses provide
expert instruction on important topics for
your work, including: Biology and Identification, Control Methods, Mapping, and
Revegetation. This year we are adding two
new field courses that participants have been
requesting for years: Advanced Mechanical
Control Methods and Advanced Herbicide
Control Techniques.
Check out our website to learn more
about the instructors, topics, and locations
and to find out about discounted rates for
attending consecutive courses, early-bird
registration, and restoration volunteers.
DPR credits available for all courses. Register at www.cal-ipc.org or call 510-843-3902.

San Diego
Sycamore Canyon/
Goodan Ranch Open Space
April 1 – Control Methods
April 2 – Revegetation Techniques

Santa Rosa
Mountain Home Ranch
May 13 – Biology and Identification
May 14 – Control Methods

Santa Cruz Mountains
Location to be determined
July 21 – Advanced Mechanical Control
Methods NEW!

Visalia (Pre-Symposium course)
Kaweah Oaks Preserve,
Sequoia Riverlands Trust
October 7 – Advanced Herbicide Control
Techniques NEW!

Pasadena
Audubon Center at Debs Park
November 4 – Control Methods
November 5 – Mapping

The WILDLAND WEED CALENDAR
Western Society of Weed Science

Tamarisk & Russian Olive
Research Conference

March 9-12
Albuquerque, NM
wsweedscience.org

February 18-19
Reno, NV
www.tamarisk.colostate.edu

For Weed Management Area coordinators.
March 10
Woodland
Contact Gina Darin, gdarin@cdfa.ca.gov

for 2009 Da

Synthesizing Ecology and Evolution for the
Study of Invasive Species
March 19-22
North Lake Tahoe
Contact Kristina Schierenbeck (ka.
schierenbeck@ars.usda.gov) for information.
Growing Natives: Celebrating California’s
beauty in dry times.

ya
t

e
th

February 22-27
Washington, DC
www.nawma.org

March 11
Sacramento
www.cal-ipc.org

Statewide WMA Meeting

National Invasive Weeds Awareness Week

Invasive Weeds Awareness
Day at the Capitol

March 28-29
Lafayette and Berkeley
www.nativeplants.org

Capitol!

SERCAL-CNGA Joint Conference
California Society for Ecological Restoration
and California Native Grasslands
Association
April 29-May 1
Folsom
www.sercal.org, www.cnga.org
National Conference on Ecosystem
Restoration

6th Invasive Weeds Awareness
Day at the Capitol
March 11, Sacramento, 9am-5pm
Hear updates on state funding, invasive species councils,
risk assessment of pests (AB 2763), economic analysis, and
federal legislation (tentative list).
Educate lawmakers on the need to maintain funding for
invasive plant work.
Registration is free with lunch provided. Travel stipends are
available for Southern California weed workers! Call 510843-3902 for more information.

July 20-24
Los Angeles
www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2009
North America Weed Management
Association Conference
“Response to Riparian Invasion”
September 21-24
Kearney, NE
www.nawma.org
Cal-IPC Symposium
October 7-10
Visalia
Abstracts due June 1.
Registration opens in June.
www.cal-ipc.org

Organized by the California Invasive Weeds Awareness Coalition (CALIWAC)
Above: George Milovich of the Inyo-Mono Agriculture Department and Frank
Wallace of the Sacramento Weed Warriors advocate for WMA funding during the
2008 Day at the Capitol. Photo by Bob Case.

Cal-IPC News Winter 2009

Cal-IPC Membership Form
We’re working to protect California’s wildlands from invasive plants—join us!
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Vol. 16 No. 4 Winter 2009

California
Invasive Plant
Council
1442-A Walnut Street, #462
Berkeley, CA 94709
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