Fighting off an invading force

UConn extension educator fights local invasive plant.

By: Tim Colegrove

Posted: 3/23/05

UConn resident cooperative extension educator Donna Ellis has a long and hostile history with little green men. The little green men Ellis has chosen to dedicate her life to combating are not the space-suit wearing, big headed phantoms of the American imagination you might expect. In fact, the little green men Ellis fights so hard against are not all that little, could hardly be classified as men and are primarily not even all that green either. Ellis is fighting an alien threat that has been in our backyards ever since sailing ships from distant lands brought people and, along with them, plant seeds to this continent. Ellis is fighting the ever present threat of the invasive plant.

Ellis specializes in a specific type of alien invader. Her nemesis is purple and stands at an intimidating 10 feet tall and is called Purple Loosestrife by nursery growers in the United States. Part of Ellis' job as a scientist has been encouraging, organizing and educating local community groups to take action against this invasive plant.

Ellis is trained in arming concerned citizens with a very strange weapon.
"I train beetle farmers," she said.

A number of years ago, scientists assigned to the task of finding a solution to the problem of how to be rid of Purple Loosestrife found that a certain beetle named the Galerucella beetle feeds almost entirely on the plant. On account of its appetite for the plant, Galerucella has become a kind of biological weapon in the fight to keep native species and ecosystems alive.

So what exactly defines a plant as invasive? According to information released by the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CTIPWG), invasive plants are essentially defined as any plant alien to Connecticut soil that has the ability to proliferate over large expanses of land while driving other less dominant native plants out.

The effects this process has on the ecosystem can be devastating. Local wildlife that once depended on native plants for sustenance is forced to find other places to feed and will leave the area to do so. This can, in turn, also affect a variety of species, most importantly those that are on the endangered lists.

From her office on the second floor of the Biotechnology building, Ellis is always busy. The fight against destructive foreign plant invasions is not the kind of fight she can so easily take a break from. Donna is a high ranking general in the war against invasive plants, but the most important of all of her positions is likely to be her part as co-chair of the CTIPWG. Ellis strives to lead the working group in their mission to educate and help influence legislation concerning invasive plants. As the CTIPWG makes clear in their web site,

"We are a growing consortium of individuals, organizations and agencies that are concerned with invasive species issues," the CTIPWG states on their web site.

UConn students have also had their share of participation and concern in this battle. David Pechie, a sophomore, met Ellis at a conference he attended in high school. Since then he has also become involved with the effort to preserve Connecticut's native plants. As a part of the UConn environmental group called EcoHusky he, "proposed that we conduct an invasive plants project on or near campus."

Last year, this was done and a number of Galerucella beetles were released around the pond areas on campus.

Although interest has been decent, the need for volunteer workers willing to put their time into joining this cause has been high. Ellis said her vision for the CTIPWG is one of volunteer growth and increased community interest.

The fight against the alien invaders will never truly end as long as there are people crossing national boundaries. Ellis feels it is only going to be through increased awareness and community effort that any progress will be made in this fight.

"Anyone can make a difference by working together," she said.