More about our June 5, 2015 General Meeting Speaker
Speaker: Gregory Alan Hitzroth
Title: Preventing the Spread of Aquatic Invaders.
Description: Many plants and animals used in aquarium and water gardens are invasive. If released or escaped from these hobbies, these species can degrade our natural areas by decreasing native biodiversity and changing ecosystem function. Once introduced they can be difficult and expensive to control and are often impossible to eradicate. This presentation will provide a background on what it means to be an aquatic invader and ways hobbyists can prevent their spread into our natural areas.
Bio: Greg Hitzroth has been with Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and
Illinois Natural History Survey since the summer of 2012 as an Organisms in
Trade Outreach Specialist. He works with industry, hobbyists, scientists and
outreach experts to develop and disseminate educational materials that aim to
prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species into our natural areas through
the organisms in trade pathways. He holds a MS in Biology from Northern Arizona
University.
Organisms in Trade Outreach Specialist
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute
University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
c/o Chicago Botanic Garden