Grand Traverse Humanists present a program on native and invasive plants by Katie Grzesiak, coordinator of the Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network.

The ISN’s mission is to protect, enhance, and promote northwest Michigan’s natural communities through terrestrial invasive plant management and outreach. ISN is essentially a “think tank” of anyone working with terrestrial invasive plants (and some wetland invaders). ISN shares information, expertise, and resources among partners. They work to educate the public about invasive species and prevent new invasions through workbees, presentations, and Go Beyond Beauty (a program that provides positive recognition to garden professionals and others who exemplify business and landscaping practices that benefit and protect our region’s natural areas).

Katie is originally from DeWitt, Michigan (near Lansing), but she would rather talk with you about the time she has spent in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Ecology, and worked for the National Parks Service at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on invasive species management for three summers.

Katie went on to incorporate this employment into her study for a Master of Science at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. During this time, she worked with the NPS for an additional two summers to complete research for her Master’s thesis: continuing a long-term study on the effects of herbicides on spotted knapweed and native plant communities.