Invasive Species in Southeast Michigan

With a solid 9 inches of snow on the ground in Southeast Michigan, it is hard to imagine what spring will look like. But as the days get longer and winter melts away, spring will begin to bloom. Trails grow more crowded, scenes of recreation spread across our lakes, rivers, and streams, and gardeners tend early crops and flowers. While much of the new growth is welcome, it is also an important time be on the lookout for invasive species.

February 20-28 marks National Invasive Species Awareness Week, an important time for local communities and residents to learn how to identify and manage invasive species. When non-native plants and animals are introduced to an ecosystem, they can cause environmental, social, and economic harm. Invasive species grow quickly and spread aggressively because they do not have any natural competitors. This means that they can outcompete native species for resources and habitat, which brings about a lot of ecosystem harm. Luckily for Southeast Michigan, we have Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMAs), which help to control the spread of invasive species.

CISMAs play a huge role in ensuring that our Southeast Michigan ecosystems remain healthy. CISMAs work to prevent the spread of invasive species, detect invasive species occurrences, and guide education and outreach for local communities. CISMAs focus on several priority invasive species in Southeast Michigan, including Phragmites, Japanese Knotweed, European Frogbit, and more. In 2020, the Lake St. Clair CISMA was able to manage 190 acres of invasive species, which is a big accomplishment for our region. Not only does this help our local ecosystems, but managing invasive species along road right-of-ways can help ensure the safety of local drivers, bikers, and walkers.

SEMCOG works with CISMAs across Southeast Michigan on Invasive Species management. SEMCOG works to provide mapping services, detailing where local invasive species currently are, and where they might be in the near future. This early detection and rapid response mapping helps identify priority sites for monitoring and treatment, to ensure that our ecosystems don’t have to deal with any unwanted invaders. We’re especially grateful for the work that Bill Parkus, who retired from SEMCOG this past December, did to coordinate with local CISMA’s throughout the region and helped broaden the expanse of the CISMAs work.

Bill Parkus, recent SEMCOG retiree and phragmites fighter-emeritus

So what can you do to help your local community manage invasive species? Here’s a few tips:

• Be sure to clean your gear after recreating! This can help to eliminate any trace of invasive species that might have gotten on your boat, shoes, or clothing.
• Makes sure if your gardening or doing landscape work that you aren’t planting an invasive species.
• Reach out to your local CISMA if you see any invasive species in your neighborhood. They can get in you in contact with the right people to manage the spread.

To learn more, be sure to visits your local CISMAs website, learn more from SEMCOG, or tune in to the 2021 Spring Invasive Species Summit. Happy National Invasive Species Week!