UW Sheridan R&E Center to Host Invasive Grasses Summit Sept. 6

The University of Wyoming’s Sheridan Research and Extension Center will host an open panel discussion Tuesday, Sept. 6, on invasive grass management, led by the Institute for Managing Annual Grasses Invading Natural Ecosystems (IMAGINE).

A collaborative statewide effort that brings together a diverse group of partner organizations, IMAGINE’s purpose is to develop long-term strategies for invasive grass management on a landscape scale while empowering local decision-makers.

The summit will provide a venue for these partners to share their work with one another and with the public. The focus will be on treatments, funding options, monitoring and how landowners can get involved, says Jaycie Arndt, coordinator of IMAGINE.

“Our goal is to provide an open discussion around annual grasses so that we can learn from each other and have a stronger concerted effort toward controlling annual grasses,” she says.

Panelists will include stakeholders from Wyoming weed and pest districts, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

“We’ll talk about some research results, but this is more about facilitating peer-to-peer learning, creating an open environment where people can discuss,” says Brian Mealor, director of IMAGINE and of the Sheridan Research and Extension Center.

The event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, email Arndt at jarndt1@uwyo.edu or call (307) 217-1985; or email Tanner Hart at mhart12@uwyo.edu. Participants are asked to RSVP by Friday, Sept. 2, at 5 p.m.

Check-in starts at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 6. For participants unable to attend in person, visit https://uwyo.zoom.us/j/97784787501 to join remotely via Zoom at noon.

The event concludes at 5:30 p.m.

To learn more about IMAGINE, visit www.wyagresearch.org/imagine or email Mealor at bamealor@uwyo.edu.