The Indiana Invasives Initiative (III) will hold its first statewide conference on Thursday, March 26 at the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds and Conference Center. The conference will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is packed with speakers and information. The event will provide technical training, the latest updates and research on invasive species, and an overview of Indiana’s Terrestrial Plant Rule, which becomes enforceable in April.
Ken Cote, one of the speakers at the upcoming CISMA conference, is shown here in front of a patch of kudzu he is working to control. (Photo provided)
Anyone with a personal or professional interest in invasive species management, CISMA representatives, park professionals, land managers, foresters, arborists, contractors, farmers, landscape professionals or watershed managers will want to come. The goal is to share information and build partnerships across the state. Registration is $25 per person and can be done online. The conference is expected to draw 300 attendees and sponsorships are available at various levels. More information is available at sicim.info.
The agenda includes evaluating the future impacts of invasive species and the impact on forest health, soils and watersheds. There will be a session on management techniques, updates on some invasive threats and a session on the role of native plants in supporting biodiversity in soils, arthropods and birds. There will also be a rollout of a new native woody alternative app, a pocket guide update for the Terrestrial Plant Rule, and information on the status of the Indiana Invasive Initiative and Senate Bill 99. There will also be information on upcoming Weed Wrangles and Weed Wrangle Awards.
The Hamilton County Fairgrounds is located at 2003 Pleasant St., Noblesville. OISC applicators CCHs will be available for the conference.
For more information on this conference, call (812) 653-5563.