Good morning, Would you please forward the invitation below to your respective lists or anyone you think might be interested in attending. For those of you already attending, we look forward to seeing you in Nashville soon.
We invite you to join us for the second annual Innovations in Invasive Species Management Conference to be held in Nashville, TN December 12-14th, 2018 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. This year’s meeting will be co-hosted by the National Military Fish and Wildlife Association’s Invasive Species Working Group the Tennessee Invasive Plant Council the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council the National Association of Invasive Plant Councils, the National Invasive Species Council, and Invasive Plant Control, Inc.
It’s a great time of year to visit Nashville and the resort will be celebrating its Country Christmas with more than 3 million lights that are a part of the holiday decorations and many other activities. The resort hosts more than 15 restaurants and offers a shuttle to popular downtown Nashville for those wishing to visit the busy downtown scene in the evenings.
Innovations in Invasive Species Management Conference
December 12-14th, 2018
Gaylord Opryland Hotel
Nashville, TN
This year we welcome a plethora of outstanding speakers sharing their experiences on invasive species management including:
Dwayne Estes, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative. The southeastern U.S. grasslands are imminently threatened. They support approximately half of the rare plant communities, two-thirds of the rare plants, and one-third of the rare terrestrial vertebrates in the region. Several groups of organisms, especially birds and pollinators, are in steep decline due to the loss of grasslands and related open habitats. Yet, in spite of the tremendous needs of these species, it seems that much of the focus on conservation, at least in many parts of the Southeast, is still overwhelmingly devoted to forests, forested wetlands, and streams. The Southeastern Grasslands Initiative (SGI), established in January 2018, is working to elevate the profile of grasslands and grassland-related communities across a 23-state region in an effort to help chart a new course for conservation in the 21st century.
Professor Dan Tompkins, Project Leader Science Strategy for Predator Free 2050 Ltd. (New Zealand). Predator Free 2050 Limited was formed to coordinate partnership approaches to large landscape projects and breakthrough science. It aims to supercharge local and regional efforts to scale up predator suppression and eradication, working closely with community groups and regional and city councils, and to focus research efforts to achieve a breakthrough science solution capable of eradicating at least one small mammal predator by 2025. The company’s first tranche of projects will enable over $100 million of predator control and eradication operations. These are being implemented in rural provincial landscapes, major cities, inhabited islands and forests.
Dickie Hall, SGHT's Habitat Restoration Project Director, will speak about the eradication and the challenges encountered by the South Georgia Heritage Trust representing the Sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. In 2018, the South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT) declared the Sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia rodent free for the first time in over 200 years. A globally important nesting site for seabirds, South Georgia also has two endemic bird species which were being pushed towards extinction by the rodent invaders. SGHT, a tiny charity from Scotland, undertook the world's largest rodent eradication to date using helicopters to spread poison bait across this remote island. In a race against the retreat of glaciers which divide the island, SGHT's baiting was completed in three phases between 2011 and 2015. In 2018 an island-wide survey proved South Georgia to be free of rats and mice. Thanks to this mammoth undertaking, the island is now returning to its natural state.
Many other excellent speakers will share their experiences managing invasive species and the preferred tools utilized in this process. Please view the agenda on the conference website to see the other excellent presentations. www.invasiveplantcontrol.com/conference18/
Agenda
Click here to view the 2018 Training Agenda
Conference Website
Click here to view the 2018 Innovations Training Website
Registration
To register for the Innovations in Invasive Species Management Training and Workshop please visit Eventbrite by clicking on the following link: Click here to register for the 2018 Innovations in Invasive Species Training Full conference registration includes breakfast and lunch on December 13th and 14th and heavy appetizers in the evening on December 12th, 13th and 14th.
Who Should Attend?
- Department of Defense Land Managers
- Department of Transportation
- Public and private land managers
- Not for profit land managers
- Municipal staff (parks and recreation, public works, inland wetlands/conservation commissions)
- Nursery, tree and landscape professionals
- Landscape architects and designers
- State and federal employees
- Members of conservation organizations
- Educators, students
- Gardening enthusiasts
- Private landowners
- Concerned citizens
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS Pesticide Recertification Credits and other Continuing Education Credits will be offered for Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Florida, Oregon, Oklahoma and Washington. If you plan to attend and don’t see your state on the list, let us know and we will get it set up for you.
Hotel and Conference Location
Gaylord Opryland Hotel The hotel is offering the equivalent to the prevailing state and federal per diem which is currently $170 per night. Click here to make reservations Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Experience the finest in Southern hospitality at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Our premier Opryland hotel offers guests an unforgettable getaway with all the excitement and energy of Music City under one spectacular roof. Located only 10 minutes from the airport and featuring an extraordinary selection of dining, shopping, recreational activities and entertainment, there’s never a shortage of things to do at our resort. After unwinding at Relâche Spa & Salon, practice your swing at Gaylord Springs Golf Links, make a splash at our indoor or outdoor pool, hit the gym at our state-of-the-art fitness center, or explore our nine acres of lush, indoor gardens and cascading waterfalls.
For more information please contact Steven Manning at 615-969-1309 or steve@ipc-inc.org
Steven T Manning
President
Invasive Plant Control, Inc.
615-969-1309 (cell)
615-385-4319 (office)
President
Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council