Our mission is to collaborate with the community to plan, protect and advance Milton's quality of life.

Monday, February 6, 2017

Lecture on Invasive Earthworms


[From the Association of Vermont Conservation Commissions' Listserve]

Crazy Snake Worms 

Invasive Earthworms in our Gardens and Woodlands
by Josef Görres
Date: Saturday, February 25, 2017 at 1:30 pm
Location: Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier, VT

We tend to think of earthworms as positive, helpful creatures which build soil, improve fertility, improve aeration, store water and help their ecosystems. But this is NOT true about an Asian species known as crazy snake worm, Amynthas agrestis. Josef Görres will speak about these alien earthworms which are rapidly spreading throughout Vermont and which negatively affect our forests and gardens. The worms arrive in containers of plants, or with woodchips or other mulches.

Professor Görres teaches soil science at UVM. Studying soil profiles lead to an interest in alien earthworms which are negatively impacting forest soils and hence the plants, fungi and animals which grow in Vermont forests. Josef is conducting cutting edge research which he will report on.

Come and learn about ‘crazy snake worms’ and the results of their voluminous appetites for duff which impoverishes forest ecosystems by keeping most understory plants, and many trees, from germinating. This results in almost-sterile ecosystems that are not sustainable.

Forest on Camel’s Hump with no snake worms














Forest in Shelburne invaded by Amynthas earthworms.

No one wants to have to think about another invasive species coming in and pushing around our native plants, fungi and animals, but it has happened and we need to learn enough about them to recognize them and their effects, and to do what we can to slow their spread. Josef Görres will provide that information thus making us better gardeners and stewards of Vermont’s wildlands.

This illustrated talk is sponsored by the Hardy Plant Club of Northern Vermont and is free and open to all. For more Information contact Victoria Weber, 802-234-9832 or wdimock@sover.net.