OHIO UNDER SIEGE: By land and sea

“One if by land, two if by sea” are the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his famous poem, Paul Revere’s Ride. Two lanterns were hung in the steeple of the Old North Church in 1775, on the night of Paul Revere’s legendary ride to warn his countrymen about an impending attack via the sea route.
Today we are under siege of a different type, both by land and sea-- the siege of invasive species. Let’s focus on two very hefty adversaries here in Ohio: by land, kudzu; by sea, zebra mussels. These twin invaders are spreading fast, crowding out native species and carpeting all that lies in their path.
Invasion by Land
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Invasion by Sea
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How can we help?
The Ohio State University Extension office has launched an awareness campaign to educate Ohio residents to recognize and report kudzu plants, and the Ohio Sea Grant and The Ohio State University’s Stone Lab on Gibraltar Island lead the nation’s research efforts to combat the invasive zebra mussel.
Our best strategy is to stay alert and address new sightings promptly. Download an Android or iPhone app from the Great Lakes Early Detection Network (GLEDN) to help you report suspected new sightings at go.osu.edu/GLEDN. The app allows you to snap a photo and submit it with location coordinates for experts to confirm. Additionally, Ohio boaters are asked to thoroughly clean and air-dry their boating equipment after use to slow the spread of zebra mussels to uninfested waters.
More resources are below. For a free copy of the kudzu poster, contact the Ohio Woodland Stewards Program at 614-688-3421 or ohiowoods@osu.edu .
Our best strategy is to stay alert and address new sightings promptly. Download an Android or iPhone app from the Great Lakes Early Detection Network (GLEDN) to help you report suspected new sightings at go.osu.edu/GLEDN. The app allows you to snap a photo and submit it with location coordinates for experts to confirm. Additionally, Ohio boaters are asked to thoroughly clean and air-dry their boating equipment after use to slow the spread of zebra mussels to uninfested waters.
More resources are below. For a free copy of the kudzu poster, contact the Ohio Woodland Stewards Program at 614-688-3421 or ohiowoods@osu.edu .
SOURCES:
Wikipedia / Kudzu EDD Maps / Kudzu OSU / The Plant That Ate the South US Geological Survey (USGS) / Zebra Mussels Ohio Sea Grant / Boaters Protect Your Waters / Aquatic Hitchhikers Ohio DNR / Invasive Species OSU Stone Lab Paul Revere's ride- image courtesy of the Early American Library. Images of kudzu and zebra mussel infestations are gathered from online sources solely for educational use. |