Invasive plants are a major issue in Kentucky and beyond, impacting a wide range of habitats from forests to grasslands.  Already there are many different invasive trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and herbaceous plants that cause problems in the state.  In addition, new plants arrive each year. From recognizing new invasives to best practices in managing current problems, landowners and professionals need more information about invasive plants.

To increase understanding of these issues and facilitate increased communication, I organized and spoke at the Kentucky Invasive Plant Conference on Nov 15, 2022, working with partners including the Kentucky Invasive Plant Council, the Kentucky Division of Forestry, and the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves. This conference was offered over Zoom. 226 people registered and 165+ attended live including landowners, land managers, agency officials, professionals, and Extension agents. CEUs were provided to professionals (e.g. Kentucky Pesticide Applicators, Society of American Foresters). 

Invited speakers from around the country presented on a range of topics, from new research into invasive plant management techniques to success stories with invasive plants. Topics included:

1. Invasive plant listing 
2. Drones for invasive plant management
3. Organic herbicide options
4. Managing common invasive plants like microstegium and bush honeysuckle
5. New invasive plants to watch for
6. Reporting invasive species

Participants attending the conference were surveyed after the event and 100% said the conference met or exceeded their expectations. 96% expressed interest in attending a similar conference in future years with a mixed preference for venue, with 42% having no preference, 9 % preferring in-person and 58% preferring online.   

This was the second annual KY Invasive Plant Conference and, based on this positive response and high attendance, we plan to continue this conference into the future, hopefully creating an in-person offering as well as online.