Celebrating Our 10th Conference: Science, Partnership, and Success
Plenary Speakers
UMISC plenary sessions bring all attendees together to showcase national luminaries in invasive species leadership, management, policy, and research. Thank you to our event sponsors, including the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Pest and Plant Center for sponsoring these plenary presentations! Please note that times are tentative and subject to change.
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Tuesday October 6th
9:30AM - 10:20AM Julie Lockwood, PhD Distinguished Professor & Director of Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute Dr. Julie L. Lockwood is a Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University and a global leader in invasion ecology, known for her influential research on how invasive species transform ecosystems and drive biodiversity change. She has served in major leadership roles, including Director of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, and is a Fellow of both the Ecological Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Evidence-based Hope within Invasive Species Management The forces of global change increasingly bring invasive species to our doorstep. As a result, our workload keeps rising to prevent new invasive species from establishing and to manage their populations, minimizing ecological and economic damage. It can feel like an endless treadmill, and it’s easy to focus on failures. However, there are successes, and even partial successes provide valuable insights. These ‘moments of hope’ are crucial for expanding our efforts to build resilient forests, wetlands, grasslands, rivers, and coasts. To develop an ‘evidence base of hope,’ we need better ways to gather and share information on ecological outcomes, operational effectiveness, and stakeholder satisfaction. Regional groups like UMISC can serve as ‘labs' for creating and sharing this evidence of hope. Tuesday October 6th 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM Melinda Myers Gardening Expert, Author, TV/Radio Host, & Columnist Nationally known gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has 35+ years of horticulture experience and has written more than 20 gardening books, including her most recent Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition. Over the past five years she has partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension to help get the word out about invasive plant species and management strategies through various outreach efforts and media platforms. She hosts the “Melinda’s Garden Moment” radio program and The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video series. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms and hosted “The Plant Doctor” radio show for over 20 years and 7 seasons of “Great Lakes Gardener” on PBS. Myers’ website is www.MelindaMyers.com Landscape Alternatives to Invasive Plants Offering solutions and alternatives can be an effective way to encourage change. As we ask people to avoid or remove invasive plants, offering them more attractive and low-maintenance alternatives can help inspire action. Melinda will cover alternative plants that offer multi-season beauty, pollinator and songbird appeal and other environmental and landscape benefits. She will also share how the cooperative outreach efforts with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension & Natural Resources Institute have allowed for ongoing communications on this topic for the past five years. Wednesday October 7th 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM Mark Renz, PhD Professor & Extension Weed Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison Dr. Mark Renz is a professor in the Plant and Agroecosystems Sciences Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he conducts applied research on invasive terrestrial plants and weeds in natural and managed systems. Mark’s goal is to improve management of these pests and he and his staff have an active research and extension program that reaches a broad audience. He has given over 350 presentations in the last 5 years to over 30,000 people and material developed by his team has been viewed/downloaded over 4 million times. Mark contributes significant time to non-profit organizations throughout the region as he is president of the Midwestern Invasive Plant Network (MIPN), treasurer of the Invasive Plant Association of Wisconsin, and founder and director of Wisconsin First Detector Network (WIFDN). Leveling Up: Next Steps Needed for Invasive Species Management Dr. Renz will discuss achievements in invasive species science and management over the last 18 years and how UMISC has played an important role in connecting people from many disciplines and improving knowledge. The focus of this presentation will be on identifying key elements needed to ensure progress and continued excellence in invasive species education, research, and management into the future. |