Ballast Bill Passes House Easily But Questions Linger (Apr 29, 2008)
Michigan Live.
On a vote of 395-7 last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a Coast Guard funding bill that contained language requiring some freighters to disinfect ballast water tanks beginning next year. By 2015, all ships operating in the Great Lakes must have treatment systems on-board that kill all living organisms in ballast tanks, including pathogens. However, the bill only requires that some freighters obey the standards starting next year. It will take until 2015 for all ships to have on-board treatment systems.

National Volunteer Week: Apr 27 - May 3, 2008
National Volunteer Week offers opportunities for us to thank some of America's most valuable assets - our volunteers - and to recognize the myriad of ways they improve our communities. This special week reflects the on the power that volunteers have to "Change the World" - as volunteers encourage those they help and motivate others to serve!

See What You Can Do to help control invasive species!

USDA and Its Partners Declare Victory Over the Asian Longhorned Beetle
(Apr 17, 2008)
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Illinois is First State to Reach Eradication of this Invasive Pest!

Sudden Oak Death pathogen is evolving, says new study that reconstructs the epidemic
(Apr 16, 2008)
University of California - Berkeley.
The pathogen responsible for Sudden Oak Death first got its grip in California's forests outside a nursery in Santa Cruz and at Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County before spreading out to eventually kill millions of oaks and tanoaks along the Pacific Coast, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. It provides, for the first time, evidence of how the epidemic unfolded in this state.

National Environmental Education Week -- Apr 13-19, 2008
National Environmental Education Foundation.
Environmental Week seeks to enhance the educational impact of Earth Day (Apr 22, 2008) by creating a full week of environmental education preparation, learning, and activities in K-12 classrooms, universities, nature centers, zoos, museums, and aquariums around the country.

Invasive Species: Coming to an Environment Near You (PDF | 62 KB)
Earth Day Network.
This lesson (Grades 9-12) introduces students to invasive species and their effects on ecosystems by examining local examples. It also explores the problems associated with invasive species, how climate change is involved, and possible solutions to the problem.

Tree Heartwood Extracts Thwart Sudden Oak Death Microbe (Apr 8, 2008)
USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
Help may be on the way for more than 100 plant species susceptible to sudden oak death (SOD). An ARS plant physiologist has found that extracts from tree heartwood can limit the growth of Phytophthora ramorum, the microbial agent that causes this devastating disease.

Gypsy Moth Management Made More Efficient, Cost-Effective (Apr 2, 2008)
Penn State University. Eberly College of Science.
A computer model that provides land managers with a more efficient and cost-effective approach for controlling gypsy moths and other invasive pests has been created by biologists at Penn State University and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.