What:
USGS Director Charles Groat and USGS Science Camp kids will remove
invasive purple loosestrife and replant the native plant blazing star on
the grounds of the USGS Headquarters.
When:
9:30 a.m Monday, July 19
Who:
U.S. Geological Survey Director Charles Groat, USGS Chief Biologist
Dennis Fenn, Department of Interior Invasive Species Coordinator
Gordon Brown, and children from the USGS Science Camp.
Where:
USGS National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley, Reston, VA
(See directions below).
Why:
Purple loosestrife is an invasive plant that has escaped from gardens,
clogging many U.S. waterways and wetlands--changing the landscape
and prohibiting the growth of native plants. This popular ornamental,
still sold in Virginia nurseries and found in all 48 lower states except
Florida, can produce more than 2.5 million seeds per plant annually,
making it a prolific nuisance in North America. Through its example
in removing this attractive but harmful plant, the USGS hopes to
educate the local community in how invasive species affect the
nation's natural resources and how gardeners can help prevent their
introduction and spread.
Visuals:
Reproducible photos for this release may be found at:
www.usgs.gov/images/loosestrife/loosestrife1.tif
www.usgs.gov/images/loosestrife/loosestrife2.tif
www.usgs.gov/images/loosestrife/loosestrife3.tif
Directions: The U.S. Geological Survey Headquarters is accessible from the
Beltway (I-495). Take the Dulles Toll Road west to exit 12, Res
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Contact: Elena Deshler
edeshler@usgs.gov
703-648-4462
United States Geological Survey
16-Jul-1999