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MIPN Mission Statement

Our mission is to reduce the impact of invasive plant species in the Midwest.

Background

The formation of the Midwest Invasive Plant Network was initiated by about ninety people attending an Invasive Species Symposium hosted by the Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) in October 2002. A second meeting was held at the Natural Areas Conference (NAC) in Madison, Wisconsin in September 2003 to further develop MIPN and create committees to focus on specific topics. MIPN currently has five committees: Green Industry , Early Detection & Rapid Response, Education, Research, and Fundraising. The Network is guided by a Board of Directors and an Advisory Council.

MIPN includes a diverse group of participants and partners. With assistance from both federal and private funding sources, Purdue University is currently hosting a paid staff position for the Coordinator of the Midwest Invasive Plant Network. Along with Purdue, the Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Forest Service and the Wisconsin DNR have played major roles in the leadership of this network. Other partners include the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Iowa DNR, Illinois DNR, Federal Highway Administration, Chicago Botanic Garden, and a number of other state and local groups. Many of the participants at the 2002 CBG meeting, the 2003 NAC meeting and others representing a cross section of Midwest organizations have contributed in-kind service, and some have helped to provide funding. The states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin all have formal or informal non-native invasive species councils or groups. We plan to continue the expansion of our network by continuing to reach out to new potential partners.

MIPN Board of Directors

Click here to view photos and biographies of Board members

Federal Government:

• Carmin Chapin, U.S. National Park Service, (Wisconsin)
• Brian Davidson , U.S. Forest Service(Missouri)
• Jan Schultz, U.S. Forest Service (Wisconsin) (Matt Bushman, proxy)

State Government:

• Bob Clancy, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (Michigan)
• Kelly Kearns, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Wisconsin)
• Laura Van Riper, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (Minnesota)

Industry:

• Alan Blowers, Ball Horticultural Company (Illinois)
• Brian Corr, Valent BioSciences Corporation (Illinois)
• Bob Masters, Dow AgroSciences (Indiana)

Non-profit Organizations:

• Heather Bacher, Central Indiana Land Trust (Indiana)
• Lisa Brush, The Stewardship Network (Michigan) - Vice President
• Rachel Gagnon, Ontario Invasive Plant Council (Ontario)

Research:

• Roger Becker, University of Minnesota (Minnesota)
• Bob Hartzler, Iowa State University (Iowa)
• Mark Renz, University of Wisconsin (Wisconsin) - President

Land Managers/Other:

• Janet Clark, Sweetgrass Consulting (Montana)
• Chris Henze, Johnson County Secondary Road Dept. (Iowa)
• Jennifer Hillmer, Cleveland MetroParks (Ohio)
• Debbie Maurer, Lake County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)

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Advisory Council

• Mike Bryan, Michigan Department of Agriculture
• Dennis McDougall, State & Private Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, Minnesota
• Bonnie Harper-Lore, Federal Highway Administration, Minnesota
• Doug Landis, Michigan State University, Michigan
• Carole Lembi, Purdue University, Indiana
• Nick Palaia, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Minnesota
• Valerie Vartanian, Missouri Botanical Garden and The Nature Conservancy

Committee Chairs

• Green Industry (Prevention): Kay Havens, Chicago Botanic Garden
• Early Detection/Rapid Response & Data Management: Debbie Maurer, Lake County Forest Preserve District
• Education: Kelly Kearns (Wisconsin DNR) and Wendy Smith (National Park Service)
• Research: John Cardina, Ohio State University
• Fundraising: Ellen Jacquart, The Nature Conservancy

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Coordinator

Kate Howe, Purdue University
c/o The Nature Conservancy of Indiana
620 East Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 829-3812
(317) 917-2478 (FAX)
Info at MIPN.org