EURASIAN MILFOIL ERADICATION AND TRAINING

After years identifying and mitigating invasive species, Dr. Maura Bozeman and Dr. William Zarillo have created an environmentally friendly milfoil eradication program that will help communities develop and maintain healthy lakes and waterways, without resorting to herbicides. The program leverages expertise of trained Crew members, horticultural professionals and local volunteers.   

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Crew members are trained to in two methods for controlling and eradicating Eurasian milfoil:  

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1) Selective Plant Mitigation: Crew members and volunteers, identify and selectively extract milfoil plants from the lake bottom.  Careful consideration is taken to remove the entire root crown and to prevent fragments of the plant from drifting away and establishing.

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2) Benthic Barrier: This can be used over large or hard to reach areas to effectively cover the milfoil. These barriers are usually placed in June and removed in late August. 

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Crew members are trained in identifying and maintaining local indigenous water plants while culling Eurasian Milfoil.   Constant attention is required to ensure Eurasian Milfoil plants don’t repopulate an area or grow lateral shoots to bypass the benthic barriers.

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Crew members usually receive sufficient funds removing Milfoil in summer to fund their fall dive trips to volunteer on coral farms.

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For further information please contact the Crew at spmcvay@comcast.net.