LIBERTY, NY — Property owners and municipalities can learn proper identification and management techniques for invasive species with hands-on activities on Wednesday, February 7. The class will be held from 12 noon to 3 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Education Center of Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County (CCESC) at 64 Ferndale-Loomis Rd. Lunch will be provided. In the event of inclement weather, the class will be held on February 22.

An invasive species is a non-native whose introduction causes or has the potential to cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health. Invasive species spread quickly and aggressively because they are hardy, they reproduce rapidly, and they lack natural predators or biological controls. Invasive species can compete with natives for resources, prey on natives, alter the environment to make it undesirable for natives, interfere with human infrastructure and activities, carry and transmit diseases, and make the landscape more prone to natural disasters such as floods and wildfires (www.yates.cce.cornell.edu).

Participants will be introduced to the invasive species that can be found in the Catskills region, including hemlock woolly adelgid, emerald ash borer, Asian long-horned beetle, Southern pine beetle and oak wilt. The risks associated with non-management will also be addressed.

CCESC is offering this introductory class jointly with the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP) and the New York State Hemlock Initiative to increase awareness of the environmental and economic impacts of invasive species on the towns and homeowners in Sullivan County.

The cost is $20 per person or $15 per CCESC enrollee. Anyone can enroll in CCESC for an annual contribution of $25 and receive a monthly subscription to the Extension Connection magazine.

To register call 845/292-6180, email sullivan@cornell.edu or visit www.sullivancce.org. Payment can be made in advance. Additional donations for CCESC programs are appreciated.