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The Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area is one of 21 in the State of Michigan tasked with keeping out unwanted, non-native plants. It is unique in that its fiduciary partner is a university, in this case Michigan Tech, and its coordinator is a professor with extensive experience in the field. Sigrid Resh says that has allowed the program to flourish.
KISMA has added an aquatics aspect to its operations this year. You may have seen their boat washing stations at local marinas in Houghton and the L’Anse/Baraga area. Resh and a KISMA student member, Connor Ford, will be on Copper Country Today this Sunday to talk about the program more. They say that the tourism boom brings with it pitfalls especially for the spread of water-based invasives.
To help grow awareness for KISMA on campus, Ford says there will be an event at the Tech Trails from 1:00 to 6:00 Thursday.
Much of KISMA’s work is done early in the fall semester before winter settles in. They will be ramping up tree planting in late September and early October, as cooler temperatures help fledgling plants survive better.
