Got Nature? Blog

Join Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee and wildlife specialist Brian MacGowan as they help you prepare for the holidays while keeping your family and local wildlife safe. This video discusses everything from how to choose and care for a real Christmas tree as well as what to do with it after the season and also how to make wildlife/nature-friendly decorations.

Topics Include:
– What can I do with my tree after Christmas that would benefit wildlife?
– Are artificial structures legal in Indiana lakes?
– What types of items can I collect from the wild for holiday decorations?
– How do I do it in an environmentally responsible way?
– Are there some things I shouldn’t or can’t collect?
– What outdoor holiday decorations can benefit wildlife?
– How do I make it last longer?
– Can I avoid problems with non-target wildlife?

If you have any questions regarding trees, forest management, wildlife, wood products or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources
Selecting an Indiana-Grown Christmas Tree, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Tips for First-Time Buyers of Real Christmas Trees, The Education Store
Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association
Purdue University Invasive Species resources
Indiana DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife for wildlife possession rules
Feed the birds with a DIY wreath, Audubon
Dan Cassens: Tips for First-Time Christmas Tree Buyers, Video, Purdue Agriculture
Dan Cassens: Starting Your Own Christmas Tree Farm, Video

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resource

Brian MacGowan, Extension Wildlife Specialist
Department of Forestry & Natural Resources, Purdue University

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A real Christmas tree is an important part of a holiday celebration for many Hoosier households. Consumers have several choices for purchasing a real tree, including pre-cut trees at retail outlets or seasonal sales locations, choose-and-cut trees at Christmas tree farms, or even live trees that can be replanted after the holidays. Purdue Extension offers two publications that can help you select and care for your tree: Tips for First-Time Buyers of Christmas Trees provides advice and direction on how to set up and care for your tree to improve safety and enjoyment. Selecting an Indiana-Grown Christmas Tree provides details on the characteristics of different species of real Christmas trees available in Indiana, as well as care instructions for cut and live Christmas trees.

Pre-cut real Christmas trees are available at many retail outlets like garden centers, supermarkets, or seasonal sales locations. If you are looking for local choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms you can consult local media and advertising outlets or the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association. Some garden centers and Christmas tree farms may also offer live trees for sale.

If you are considering growing your own Christmas trees for personal use or sale, the Extension publications Growing Christmas Trees and A Choose-and-Cut Pine and Fir Christmas Tree Case Study outline economic and management considerations for growing Christmas trees.

Check out the Ask an Expert: Holidays in the Wild as the experts answer questions regarding Christmas trees along with wildlife you may see while you walk in the woods this winter. In this Ask an Expert video they share resources about picking a real Christmas tree and how to access real trees locally in Indiana as well as collecting decoration materials like cones, seed pods and nuts form the wild for crafting and decorating. They also discuss how you can provide habitat and supplemental food for wildlife using Christmas trees and wreaths before, during and after the holiday season.

Resources:
A Choose-and-Cut Pine and Fir Christmas Tree Case Study, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Living Christmas Trees For The Holidays and Beyond, The Education Store
Tips for First-Time Buyers of Real Christmas Trees, The Education Store
Growing Christmas Trees, The Education Store
Selecting an Indiana-Grown Christmas Tree, The Education Store
Winterize Your Trees, The Education Store
Tree Installation: Process and Practices, The Education Store
What do Treed Do in the Winter?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Forest/Timber Playlist, subscribe to Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Ask the Expert: Holidays in the Wild, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
ID That Tree: Balsam Fir, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
ID That Tree: Scotch Pine, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
To identify other pine trees view ID That Tree, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

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MyDNR, Indiana’s Outdoor Newsletter: Donate your harvested deer to feed hungry Hoosiers. In Indiana, you can enjoy a great day hunting and also help Hoosiers in need. In fact, one donated deer can provide 200 meals for a Hoosier family!

Follow these simple steps:

1. Enjoy a deer hunting experience.
2. Harvest a deer.
3. Drop off the field-dressed deer at a local participating processor.
4. Processing fees are paid for by Hunt for Hunger (at no cost to you).
5. The processor creates healthy venison burgers to distribute to food banks.

This is a part of the program Indiana Hunt for Hunger (also known as Sportsmen’s Benevolence Fund).  The Indiana Department of Natural Resources launched this in 2008 to provide an easy way for hunters across Indiana to help hungry Hoosiers in need. Since its launch, the program has grown across the state to collect thousands of deer donations, providing hundreds of thousands of meals for Hoosiers.

For more information, visit the Hunt for Hunger page.

To subscribe to the newsletter, visit MyDNR Email Newsletter.

Resources:
Ask an Expert: Wildlife Food Plots, video, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 1, Field Dressing, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 2, Hanging & Skinning, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 3, Deboning, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 4, Cutting, Grinding & Packaging, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Deer Harvest Data Collection, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
How to Score Your White-tailed Deer, video, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
White-Tailed Deer Post Harvest Collection, video, The Education Store
Age Determination in White-tailed Deer, video, The Education Store
Handling Harvested Deer Ask an Expert? video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence, The Education Store
Bovine Tuberculosis in Wild White-tailed Deer, The Education Store
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners: Managing Deer Damage to Young Trees, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Integrated Deer Management Project, Purdue FNR
New Deer Impact Toolbox, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)

Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Department of Fish & Wildlife

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Purdue Landscape Report: Dieback and canker diseases caused by Botryosphaeria, Sphaeropsis, Diplodia and other closely related fungal pathogens are exceptionally common on woody landscape plants. This group of diseases are often referred to collectively as Botryosphaeria diseases and this article will follow that convention to discuss them as a group. Examine any mature oak tree long enough and you’re likely to find at least some stems dying due to Botryosphaeria. Check the base of dying stems of cranberry bush viburnum and you’re likely to find a Botryosphaeria canker. Look closely at sunken cracked stems and dieback on redbud and, you guessed it, more Botryosphaeria.

Botryosphaeria is opportunistic and is often seen killing individual branches that have been wounded or attacked by other diseases, providing an entry point for the fungus. (Fig 1) Stress factors like drought, freezing or defoliation due to disease or insect attack increases susceptibility to infection, and reduces plant defenses so that existing infections often move faster down the stem. However, wounds are not required for infection. In susceptible trees and shrubs, the fungus may attack the smallest twigs and later spread to larger branches where they cause cankers.

Symptoms:
Discoloration and death of leaves on individual stems may point to Botryosphaeria canker at the base of the dying stem (Fig 2). As the canker girdles a stem, the portion of the stem above the canker gradually dies. Smaller twigs with immature bark may become discolored as the pathogen spreads. Symptoms may vary depending on the plant species infected. In many cases the infection fails to completely encircle the stem, resulting in stems with half necrotic and half living stem tissue (Fig 3).

Botryosphaeria cankers usually cause bark to be cracked, sunken and discolored (Fig 4). Fruiting bodies of the fungus appear as pinhead-sized black specks embedded in the bark, which may be raised in small bumps covering the cankers.

Management:
Prevention of infection depends mainly upon avoiding unnecessary wounding and minimizing environmental stresses that induce susceptibility. Avoid allowing trees and shrubs, especially those recently transplanted, to become drought stressed. Keep plants in good condition and in moderate growth. Avoid high fertilizer rates that induce rapid, succulent growth that may be more susceptible to infection.

Prune out and destroy any dead branches at least six inches below discoloration in the bark or sapwood. Be sure to clean pruning tools with a disinfectant after working on infected plants.

Fungicides have not been effective at preventing infections, and once the fungus is inside the wood fungicides can’t touch it, so they are generally not recommended in the landscape.

Avoid using highly susceptible plants, such as Viburnum trilobum or Salix spp., in drought prone sites.

Resources:
Botryosphaeria Canker, Purdue Plant Doctor
Beat Back Borers Attacking Pines, Purdue Landscape Report
Black Spot of Elm, Purdue Landscape Report
Inonotus Dryadeus – Butt and Root Rot of Oaks, Purdue Landscape Report
Stories in the Bark – Patterns and Growth, Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources Got Nature? Blog
Root Rot in Landscape Plants, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Dead Man’s Fingers, Purdue Landscape Report
ID That Tree Fall Color: Sugar Maple, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
ID That Tree Fall Color Edition: Black Gum, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
An Introduction to Trees of Indiana, The Education Store
Tree Defect Identification, The Education Store
Tree Wound and Healing, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Ask an Expert: Tree Selection and Planting, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube playlist
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube playlist
Invasive Species, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Report Invasive Species, Purdue Invasive Species
Find an Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture
Subscribe, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel

Tom Creswell, Plant & Pest Diagnostic Laboratory Director
Purdue Botany and Plant Pathology

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Wild Bulletin, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fish and Wildlife: Interested in processing your own deer? Head over to our new webpage to view instructional videos from our partners at the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) and National Deer Association (NDA). They’ll guide you through each step, including grinding and preserving the meat. Plus, you can download our printable PDF that includes step-by-step instructions for skinning and processing your own deer.

 

To learn more, view the Deer Processing page on the official Indiana DNR website. This is where you can find the instructional PDF along with training videos and other resources!

Subscribe to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources YouTube Channel.

Subscribe to Wild Bulletin.

Resources:
Ask an Expert, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 1, Field Dressing, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 2, Hanging & Skinning, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 3, Deboning, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 4, Cutting, Grinding & Packaging, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Introduction to White-tailed Deer Impacts on Indiana Woodlands, Got Nature? Blog & The Education Store
Purdue Extension Pond and Wildlife Management
Understanding White-tailed Deer and Their Impact on Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Monitoring White-tailed Deer and Their Impact on Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Managing White-tailed Deer Impacts on Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence, The Education Store
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Deer Harvest Data Collection, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Handling Harvested Deer Ask an Expert? video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Subscribe to Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources YouTube Channel, Wildlife Playlist
A Woodland Management Moment – Deer Fencing, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Video

Indiana Department of Natural Resources – Division of Fish & Wildlife

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In this edition of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee takes us through the different characteristics of Hoptree, a relatively common shrub here in Indiana. This is a unique native plant with three-part leaves and hop-like seed pods. Also called Wafer Ash due to its distinctive wafer-shaped seeds, this shrub can often be confused with Poison Ivy or Bladdernut, so be sure to pay attention to key differences in the video. Features include trifoliate leaves and the temperate areas in which it grows.

 

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:
ID That Tree: Firs and Spruces, Video Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
ID That Tree – Jack Pine, Scotch Pine, Red Pine, Virginia Pine, Eastern White Pine, Video Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Beat Back Borers Attacking Pines and Other Cone Bearing Trees, Purdue Landscape Report
Tree Diseases: White Pine Decline in Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Conservation Tree Planting: Steps to Success, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Episode 11 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Find an Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

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The aquaculture industry in the Midwest region of the United States has limited or no access to economically feasible seafood processing infrastructure for farmed seafood products, leaving producers to rely on live ethnic fish and recreational markets. This handbook highlights the necessary elements of processing fish to guide any interested fish farmer or entrepreneur.

Local kitchens, such as shared-use commercial kitchens and licensed on-farm kitchens, can provide resources for fish farming entrepreneurs interested in adding some form of value to their fish, by allowing them to diversify their market. These shared-use commercial kitchens can be found in many communities and are rented by food producers, local food entrepreneurs, and caterers to prepare and process their food products for consumer markets. Using local facilities for processing fish and developing aquaculture products could diversify marketing opportunities for small-scale fish farmers and have a positive impact on farm profitability. A diversified market also reduces market risks for fish farmers. Embarking on processing is an additional investment for a fish farmer and requires resources.

This handbook provides some information and resources for fish farmers interested in using licensed kitchen facilities for fish processing or setting up their own on-farm processing kitchen. This handbook highlights the necessary elements of processing fish to guide any interested fish farmer or entrepreneur.

To receive the free download, visit the Purdue Extension’s resource center: The Education Store – Handbook on Processing Fish for Small-Scale Fish Farmers.

Resources:
Profitability of Hybrid Striped Bass Cage Aquaculture in the Midwest, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
A Guide to Marketing for Small-Scale Aquaculture Producers, The Education Store
A Guide to Small-Scale Fish Processing Using Local Kitchen Facilities, The Education Store
Marine Shrimp Biofloc Systems: Basic Management Practices, The Education Store
Aquaculture Industry in Indiana Growing, Purdue Today
Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Rainbow Trout Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Pacific White Shrimp Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet: A Guide for Seafood Consumers, The Education Store
Sustainable Aquaculture: What does it mean to you?, The Education Store
The Benefits of Seafood Consumption The Education Store
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet: A Guide for Seafood Consumers, The Education Store
Pond and Wildlife Management website, Purdue Extension
Fish Cleaning with Purdue Extension County Extension Director, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Aquaponics: What to consider before starting your business, YouTube, Purdue Ag Economics
Aquatics & Fisheries, Playlist, YouTube, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Eat Midwest Fish, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant online resource hub

Kwamena Quagrainie, Aquaculture Marketing Director/Clinical Engagement Full Professor
Purdue Agricultural Economics/Department of Forestry and Natural Resources/Illinois Indiana Sea Grant Program

Amy Shambach, Aquaculture Marketing Outreach Associate
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources/Illinois Indiana Sea Grant Program

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Wild Bulletin, IN DNR, Division of Fish & Wildlife: Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a naturally occurring viral disease commonly seen in the Indiana deer herd. Each year, typically in late summer, Indiana DNR receives reports of deer displaying signs of EHD throughout the state.

This year, DNR confirmed a significant EHD outbreak that began in the northern region of the Hoosier State. In some years, EHD can affect a larger-than-normal portion of the deer and becomes widespread across a county. In those instances, DNR lowers the County Bonus Antlerless Quotas (CBAQs) in the impacted counties to offset the effect of the counties’ EHD outbreak on the deer herd in that region.

EHD is transmitted by biting midges, also known as sand gnats or “no-see-ums.” Deer infected with EHD may display unusual behaviors such as lethargy, excessive salivation, or disorientation. EHD also causes fever in deer, which can cause deer to seek water. As a result, many deer that die from EHD are found in or near open water sources like ponds and rivers. Anyone who finds a deer showing signs of EHD or dead in water is asked to report it at on.IN.gov/sickwildlife.

County bonus antlerless quotas reduced in three counties for 2024-25
Due to the number of reported deer mortalities and extent of EHD in the region, DNR has lowered the County Bonus Antlerless Quotas (CBAQs) in Wabash, Porter, and Allen counties from two bonus antlerless deer to one to help offset the effects of EHD on the deer herd in that region. During the winter, DNR biologists will fully evaluate the effects of EHD and will propose changes to bag limits as required. Hunters can stay informed about CBAQ changes at on.IN.gov/EHD-quotas.

To find out more view the Indiana Department of Natural Resources EHD Antlerless Bonus Quota Reductions.

Resources:
Be on the Watch for Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in Deer, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Report a Sick or Dead Deer, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN-DNR)
EHD Virus in Deer: How to Detect and Report video, Quality Deer Management Association
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (pdf),  Cornell University
How to Score Your White-Tailed Deer video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Playlist
Deer Harvest Data Collection, Purdue FNR Got Nature? blog
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners: Managing Deer Damage to Young Trees, Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel
Introduction to White-tailed Deer Impacts on Indiana Woodlands, Deer Impact Toolbox, Got Nature? Blog & The Education Store
Purdue Extension Pond and Wildlife Management
Managing White-tailed Deer Impacts on Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence, The Education Store
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Deer Harvest Data Collection, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Handling Harvested Deer Ask an Expert? video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Subscribe to Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources YouTube Channel, Wildlife Playlist
A Woodland Management Moment – Deer Fencing, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Video

Division of Fish and Wildlife, Indiana Department of Natural Resources

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The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service,  shares news article announcing the December 6, 2024 deadline for the Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).

Funding Available to Landowners Through the Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape Regional Conservation Partnership Program
October 8. 2024
Damarys Mortenson, State Conservationist for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Indiana announced today the deadline to apply for funding through the Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is Dec. 6.

RCPP is a partner-led program, with NRCS directing technical and financial assistance to priorities identified by partners. Led by the Conservation Law Center, and the Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape Partnership (SISL), this RCPP is part of a larger initiative to address pressing environmental concerns in the region.

“SISL is a great example of public, private and non-profit organizations working together to solve local concerns,” said Mortenson. “The partners are building on years of successful collaborations focused on natural resource protection, making a greater environmental impact within the focus area.”

Beginning about 20 miles south of Indianapolis, SISL comprises a unique patchwork of land uses. It is anchored by four critical Department of Defense installations and ranges and also contains state parks, state forests, state fish and wildlife areas, state-dedicated nature preserves, the Hoosier National Forest, and National Wildlife Refuges.

These natural and working lands provide an opportunity for partners and stakeholders to sustainably manage forests, build soil health and resiliency on agricultural lands, improve ecosystem health and maintain areas compatible with the military mission. SISL’s overarching goals are to preserve and protect military missions, support sustainable farming and forestry, restore and sustain ecosystems, ensure thriving human communities, and improve climate resiliency. Combined, these efforts have the potential to mitigate the effects of existing encroachment threats or avoid them altogether.

“Protecting Indiana’s oak-hickory ecosystems is essential not just for preserving our natural heritage, but also for safeguarding biodiversity, water quality, soil health and wildlife habitats,” said Mortenson. “The Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape plays a major role in helping to maintain ecological balance, support countless species and provide clean air and water for southern Indiana communities.”

For full article view: Funding Available to Landowners Through the Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

For more information regarding the Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape view The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership website, Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape.

The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership is a coalition of federal agencies, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations that work with willing landowners and land managers to advance sustainable land use practices around military installations and ranges. Founded in 2013, the partnership aligns the objectives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of the Interior, and Federal Emergency Management Agency to strengthen military readiness, conserve natural resources, bolster agricultural and forestry economies, increase public access to outdoor recreation, and enhance resilience to climate change.

Landowner and Wildlife Habitat Assistance, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife
Timber Harvesting and Logging Practices for Private Woodlands, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Marketing Timber, The Education Store
Woodland Wildlife Management, The Education Store
A Landowner’s Guide to Sustainable Forestry: Part 3: Keeping Your Forest Healthy and Productive, The Education Store
Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry
The Nature of Teaching: Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Indiana Woodland Steward, Institute promoting the wise use of Indiana’s forest resources
Indiana Forestry Educational Foundation, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Invasive plants: impact on environment and people, The Education Store
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
New Deer Impact Toolbox, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension, Forestry and Natural Resources
Subscribe: Deer, Forest Management, ID That Tree, Woodland Management Moment, Invasive Species and many other topic video playlists Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Diana Evans, Extension & Web Communications Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Weekly Review, Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Indiana DNR: Will Drews, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Nursery Inspector & Compliance Officer with the DNR Division of Entomology & Pathology shares in September Weekly Review e-newsletter how staff will continue to help coordinate kudzu control throughout the state and expands upon the state funded kudzu control program.

As some of you may know, kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) is an invasive woody vine that can now be found throughout the state of Indiana. It is referred to colloquially as “the vine that ate the south,” and if you took a drive through some southern states (e.g. Tennessee, Georgia, the Carolinas, etc.) right now, you’d see why. Kudzu has tremendous growth potential, sometimes as much as 1 foot per day. Some vines reach lengths of up to 100 feet. Because of this it is a detriment to Indiana’s natural resources, kudzu has been listed as a prohibited invasive plant under the DNR’s Administrative Code as per 312 IAC 18-3-16 Control of kudzu.

While part of the language includes that the landowner “must take efforts to eliminate this species in such a manner as is consistent with federal and state law,” the Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology have been leading a state funded control program where sites are treated on a rotating, priority basis to eradicate or suppress further spread with no cost to the landowner. Over the last month, around 40 kudzu sites in Indiana have been treated and we have seen some great progress from last year.

If you think you have seen a new kudzu population, please send me that information (photos and GPS coordinates or address) at my email address provided below. A couple of the sites treated this year are new reports from last year that we were able to address. With your help, we can try to reduce the impact of this incredibly invasive vine and protect our natural resources.

For more information regarding this invasive vine Kudzu see the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Kudzu.

Subscribe: Entomology Weekly Review.

Resources:
Indiana Department of Natural Resources-Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology
Indiana Department of Natural Resources-Natural Resources Conservation Service Plants Profile
Indiana Department of Natural Resources-National Invasive Species Information Center
Indiana Department of Natural Resources-Kudzu Information
Invasive Species, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Report Invasive Species, Purdue Invasive Species
What are invasive species and why should I care?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species
Invasive Plant Species Identification, Video, Purdue Extension – FNR Youtube Channel
Mile-a-minute Vine, The Education Store
Invasive Plant Series: Swallow-worts, The Education Store

Will Drews, Nursery Inspector & Compliance Officer, Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology, WDrews@dnr.IN.gov
Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN DNR)

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