Upcoming Conference:

4th Annual Western Great Lakes Research Conference

www.cnr.umn.edu/cesu/conferences/wglc

Being held March 30-31, 2005, in Marquette, Mich., this conference provides a forum for information and idea sharing between researchers and managers of national parks and other public lands throughout the western Great Lakes area.

Current Research:

Thinking Differently About E.coli
Recent Research Findings on E.coli and Beach Closures

Purple Loosestrife Workshop Report and Summary
August 29-30, 2003

The GLREC held a purple loosestrife management and education workshop in Spooner, Wisconsin . Six federal, state, and nonprofit organizations presented pertinant information and educational tools for assisting mangers in control of this highly invasive species. The workshop summary is presented in pdf format.

Purple Loosestrife: Purple Scourge of North America (2.41mb pdf)

Purple Loosestrife Volunteer Program Report
Dr. Beth Middleton, U.S.G.S. National Wetlands Research Center, Lafayette, Louisiana

February 17, 2005

As a follow-up to the GLREC-USGS purple loosestrife workshop in 2003, I wanted to inform you that a number of people have volunteered to help collect data on purple loosestrife for the program. More than 25 people volunteered during the workshop. As part of a cascade effect, after the workshop at least 5 additional people were recruited by people from the workshop to help with the research. Several inquiries have been made by school groups and others to help with the research in 2005. The data collected by volunteers have been tremendously useful to my research program. As an added benefit, volunteers who become involved in the program become better informed about the purple loosestrife problem, so that the program is of benefit in creating a well informed public. Volunteers also have the satisfaction of knowing that they have contributed to a worldwide research program involving people from many countries in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America (including Canada).

For more information, see the purple loosestrife volunteer website (http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/special/purplel/index.htm), and the volunteer poster (see poster in pdf format).