The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) is providing two free workshops focused on managing invasive plants on Sept. 16.  Both programs will be held at KELT’s Sewall Woods Preserve and provide attendees with the opportunity to observe and try out methods for treating a variety of invasive plants.  The morning program is designed for homeowners, providing guidance on methods to use for treating invasive plants found in yards and woods.  The afternoon program is designed for land managers, with information specific to those who manage invasive plants on woodlots, public lands, or other large landscapes.
 
The invasive management program for homeowners is from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. At this program, manual methods and herbicide methods for removing invasive plants will be demonstrated, and attendees will have a chance to try them out. From barberry to bittersweet, different methods work better for different types of plants. KELT's Stewardship Coordinator, Cheri Brunault, and Bath's City Forester, Kyle Rosenberg, will introduce the plants, highlight which methods work best for which plants, and share information about other invasive plant management resources.  
 
The invasive management program for land managers is from 1:00 to 4:00 and will be led by KELT’s Stewardship Coordinator, Cheri Brunault.  This program will highlight the manual and herbicide treatment methods that are best for a variety of invasive plants.  Participants will be introduced to these plants and will have a chance to try these methods.  The program will also provide guidance on landscape-scale invasive plant mapping as well as information about coordinating volunteers for invasive management projects and grant resources that are available for this work.  Participants will have the chance to share knowledge and ideas.
 
KELT’s Sewall Woods Preserve is located on Whiskeag Road in Bath. The parking area is just west of the intersection between Whiskeag Road and High Street.  This is a light rain or shine event and registration is strongly encouraged at www.kennebecestuary.org or 207-442-8400.
 
KELT and the Androscoggin Valley Soil and Water Conservation District have partnered to provide a series of three invasive plant programs this summer in order to help local residents and land managers identify and control invasive plants.  These programs are the final part of the series.  The series is supported by Rocky’s Hardware and the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund.  The Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund supports outdoor recreation and natural resource conservation and is made possible with proceeds from the sale of dedicated instant lottery tickets (currently “Lucky Catch”).
 
If you are interested in finding out more about invasive plants, the Maine Natural Areas Program has images and fact sheets for a variety of the invasive plants in Maine.  These resources can be found at: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/invasive_plants/invasives.htm.