Elizabeth Myers Helps Protect the Adirondacks Against Invasive Species This Summer

2014 Jun 18

Elizabeth Myers of Marion, N.Y., is helping guard the Adirondack Park against the spread of invasive species this summer.

Myers, a student at Paul Smith's College, is a steward for the Adirondack Watershed Institute. That Paul Smith's College-led initiative protects rivers, lakes and other waterways against invasives and teaches boaters how to keep an eye out for problems on their own.

Invasive plants and animals such as Eurasian watermilfoil, zebra mussels and spiny waterflea pose a growing threat not just to area waterways but also to the economies of Adirondack communities. When invasives take hold in a body of water, they can displace native species and rapidly multiply, making waterways impassible to motorboats and hurting tourism and other industries.

Myers and the 34 other watershed stewards attended a training session at Paul Smith's College in May before starting their duties on Memorial Day. While stationed at boat launches across the Adirondacks, the stewards will conduct voluntary inspections of boats entering and leaving the water for invasives. They'll remove any that they find, and convey the importance of clean boats, clean gear and clean waters to boaters. The program runs through Labor Day.

The AWI is dedicated to protecting waterways and ecosystems across the six-million-acre Adirondack Park.

About Paul Smith's College

At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. Our programs - in fields including hospitality, culinary arts, forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship and the sciences - draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere.

For more information: www.paulsmiths.edu