'Protect Biodiversy: Avoid Invasive Species' talk at ICPL

Non-native species can harm the environment, economy, and human, animal, or plant health. Non-natives that can grow and reproduce quickly are given the label “invasive" because they spread aggressively
and have the potential to cause harm and threaten our native wildlife.

Project GREEN invites the community to attend its Second Sunday
Garden Forum on Sunday, March 9, at 2 p.m., in the Iowa City Public
Library.

A certified arborist and TreesForever Field Coordinator Nick McGrath will present Protecting Biodiversity: Avoid Invasive Species.
Nearly 42 percent of threatened or endangered species are at risk due
to the spread of invasives primarily by human activities, often
unintentionally.

Nick’s passion for education and arboriculture is strengthened
through his work, teaching Iowans about the importance of trees with
innovative instruction and research-based science. Nick led the 2024
Spring Course for Eastern Iowa TreeKeepers. The six-week program covered
tree advocacy, biology, identification, maintenance, pests and pruning.

Nick began his career as a public school educator before becoming a
retail nursery manager. Recently, he worked for the Iowa Department of
Natural Resources collaborating with private landowners, cities and
counties across east central Iowa to help them recover from the historic
derecho and replanting for the future.

Project GREEN garden forums are free and open to the public. The
presentation will also stream live on Iowa City Public Library's YouTube
channel: https://www.youtube.com/thelibrarychannel.

Project GREEN (Grow to Reach Environmental Excellence Now) and ICPL
have partnered to offer garden forums for many years. Attendance at
forums qualifies Iowa State University Extension Master Gardeners for
continuing education credit hours.