• Japanese Barberry flower
    Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii)

Read CIPWG’s 2024 Annual Report

Thank you for reporting your 2024 Invasive Plant Activity!

The CIPWG 2024 Annual Report is a compilation of reported invasive plant management and education activity for the 2024 year.

Read the 2024 CIPWG report HERE

The report details the invasive plant management and educational activities that occurred in over 60 CT towns throughout the year. At least 6,354 citizens directly and actively participated in CIPWG activities: exhibit displays, invasive plant talks presented, invasive plant educational materials provided, and/or invasive plant management activities occurred. A minimum of 21,313 hours were directly invested in invasive plant management, during intensive invasive plant training sessions and management activities, as well as educational outreach. Many (at least 32,525) were reached indirectly through articles, YouTube videos, social media, fact sheets, signs, and other educational mediums.

The CIPWG Facebook page was started in 2024. As of December 2024, the page had 163 followers. 13,275 people have been reached through the page, with 12,204 views since September 2024. CIPWG’s news and events listserv has approximately 1350 members from Connecticut and other states in the region. Requests to subscribe to the listserv may be submitted online from the CIPWG website.

The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group maintains the following subcommittees:

  • Education and Outreach (educational outreach about invasive species and their alternatives)
    • CIPWG displays were used at 5 events around the state in 2024.
    • Outdoor Educators held 6 free “Walk, Talk and Cut” events in 5 of Connecticut’s counties. 96 people attended these events.
  • Management (develop and disseminate information on invasive plant control options)
  • Native Alternatives (explore and promote the use of native plant species as alternatives to invasives)
  • Research List Review 
    • Developed criteria regarding additional plants on the CT Invasive Plant list to be prohibited from sale and presented recommendations to the CIPWG Steering Committee. The Steering Committee voted for the adoption of recommendations and presented the recommendations to the Invasive Plant Council in October 2024.
    • Reviewed plants to be added to the CIPWG Invasive Plant Research List.

    CIPWG provides a List of Speakers who are available to give presentations on many invasive plant-related topics, including identification, control, and non-invasive alternatives. Since 2002, CIPWG has hosted biennial invasive plant symposia. The twelfth biennial symposium was held in Storrs, CT on October 29, 2024, with 390 people attending. The symposium theme was Real Talk - Making an Impact in Invasive Plant Management. The all-day event featured regional and local experts as well as citizen volunteers sharing practical solutions for invasive plant management and actions needed to promote native species and improve wildlife habitat. Symposium 2024 information is available on the CIPWG website.

    CIPWG Symposium Held on October 29, 2024

    October 29, 2024
    Storrs, CT
    CT Invasive Plant Working Group 12th Biennial Symposium flier. October 29, 2024, UConn Student Union, Storrs, CT. cipwg.uconn.edu

     

    Good News on Recent Invasive Plant Legislation!

    Over the past year, a CIPWG subcommittee reviewed the CIPWG research list (plants that were being studied to determine invasive potential) and made recommendations to the Invasive Plants Council (IPC) regarding plants that should be moved to the invasive plant list. The IPC is the state-mandated body that recommends changes or updates in invasive species legislation to the CT legislature through the Environment Committee (EC).

    In the IPC annual report, the IPC made recommendations to the EC. The EC followed the suggestions of the IPC and submitted a bill (HB 5225) to the legislature. It passed through the house and senate and the governor signed the bill into law this Tuesday (5/14).

    The bill includes:

    • Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) will be added to the CT invasive plant list with a 3-year phase out period; it will be prohibited from sale as of October 2027.
    • Quackgrass (Elymus repens) and Japanese angelica tree (Aralia elata) will be added to the invasive plant list and prohibited from sale as of October 2024.
    • Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) and Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) will be added to the potentially invasive plant list and prohibited from sale as of October 2024.
    • Porcelainberry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) and Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), which are already on the invasive plant list, will be added to the prohibited from sale list as of October 2024.

    You can read the text of the bill, view testimony, votes of CT legislators, and more at cga.ct.gov.

    We, the CIPWG co-chairs, are thrilled to see CIPWG, the IPC, and the Environment Committee work together in such an effective way to make progress on regulation of invasive plant species in CT.

    We are grateful for the efforts of CIPWG members, the IPC, and the Environment Committee for the continued effort to take meaningful steps to regulate invasive plant species in our state.

    We are in the process of updating the Invasive Species list with the changing regulations and will keep posted on those updates as they are completed.

    Vickie Wallace, Rose Hiskes, and Emmett Varricchio, CIPWG Co-chairs
    info@cipwg.org

    Report your 2025 Invasive Plant Activity

    CIPWG is Collecting Reports of your Invasive Plant Activity for our 2025 Annual Report!

    Thank you to all of you who are leading invasive plant management activities, workshops, webinars, or helping in any way to manage invasives!

    As in past years, we are collecting reports of your activities and events for us to include in CIPWG's end-of-year activity report. (See the 2024 and 2023 CIPWG Reports for reference.) 

    WHO SHOULD SUBMIT A REPORT?

    CIPWG members who have actively participated in invasive plant management programs, activities, educational events, or training sessions as part of their employment or in a volunteer capacity; written articles or created educational materials; or participated in any other way in related activities. 

    Please report your work for any activities that have occurred so far in 2025 - lectures, invasive plant management events, educational outreach, workshops taught, etc. 

    Click here to complete the quick ONLINE report!

    OR if you prefer to put the information in a word document, please:

    Click here to download the WORD VERSION Report Form
    (Please TYPE your responses!    )

    Return the document to alyssa.siegel-miles@uconn.edu.

    For questions or assistance, please contact alyssa.siegel-miles@uconn.edu.

    November 3, 2022 CIPWG Symposium

    The 2022 CIPWG Symposium was held virtually on Thursday, November 3, 2022. Thank you to everyone who presented, attended, and helped make the 2022 Symposium a success!

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    Visit the 2022 CIPWG Symposium EVENT WEBPAGE for more information and program handouts.

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    CIPWG Invasive Plant Symposium flyer-graphic

    National Invasive Species Awareness Week

    National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) was observed February 28 – March 4, 2022. NISAW is a nationwide event to raise awareness about invasive species, the threat that they pose, and what people can do to prevent their spread.

    Everyone can play a role in managing invasive species. Here are some ways you can help!

    LEARN ABOUT INVASIVE SPECIES AND TAKE ACTION TO REDUCE/PREVENT THEIR SPREAD

    • Spotted lanternfly is one of our newest invasive species reported in CT. Now is a great time to learn about this pest. Learn about spotted lanternfly at: CAES Spotted Lanternfly Information.

             o  Spotted Lanternfly Management for Landscape Professionals

             o  Spotted Lanternfly Management for Residents

     

    CHOOSE NATIVE SPECIES

    If you’re planning to plant in your yard this year, choose native species whenever possible. For information and resources, refer to: 

     

    MORE TIPS FROM PLAY CLEAN GO (playcleango.org) for preventing the spread of invasive species when recreating in the outdoors:

    • REMOVE plants, animals and mud from boots, gear, pets, and vehicle.
    • CLEAN your gear before entering and leaving the recreation site.
    • STAY on designated roads and trails.
    • USE CERTIFIED or local firewood and hay.

     

    Porcelainberry Update

    Presented by Rose Hiskes at the CACIWC Annual Meeting.  Click here to view.

    Get Involved:

    Join our Membership listserv

    Emails about:
    - events
    - workshops
    - volunteer opportunities

    Frequency: About 2 per month

    Click here for information on upcoming events:

    About this Site

    The CONNECTICUT INVASIVE PLANT WORKING GROUP (CIPWG) is a consortium of individuals, organizations, and agencies concerned with invasive plant issues.

    Contact Us

    info@cipwg.org
    Address: Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group
    UConn Extension
    562 New London Tpke.
    Norwich, Connecticut 06360