We take a moment before each post to acknowledge that the land we learn from, responsibly take from, and generously give back to, is the traditional and contemporary homeland of the Anishinaabe peoples, specifically the Council of Three Fires (the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations), among others.
We pay respect to their ancient stewardship, ecological wisdom, and continued presence here in the Great Lakes region, committing ourselves to learning and practicing the ethics of stewardship and harvesting that they pioneered.
Land is not property, land is a relation.
The autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is an invasive shrub that poses a significant threat to native ecosystems across the central and northeastern United States, Michigan being no exception.
If you don’t care about harvesting anything from them (the fruit is delicious and the firewood is exceptional) I get it.
More effort than it may be worth (as enticing as “free resources” may be).
If you want to go straight to reporting it so that wildlife officials are aware, they could possibly address what you find (i.e. take care of your problem for you, if they can).
My advice is to not think about self-reporting as a way to get someone else to take care of your problem (because money and manpower are stretched thin for stuff like this).
Instead, my advice is to think of self-reporting as a way of making them aware of it so they can prioritize infected sites (plus more reasons that we’ll cover down below).
Someone could also financially help you get rid of your infestation too, which we’re going to be talking about as well.
Because the species is so aggressive and difficult to eliminate once it gets going, reporting a widespread infestation is the important first step towards triggering a large-scale, coordinated management effort.
Here’s how you can confirm the species and report a significant colonization to the authorities responsible for invasive species management.
1. Why Reporting Widespread Infestations Matters
First, I want to cover the ‘why’.
When an autumn olive population is characterized as “widespread” or “well-established,” it is often considered “almost impossible to eradicate completely from a region”.
That doesn’t mean we don’t give it everything we’ve got.
Invasive species respect no jurisdictional boundaries, so mitigating their severe impact requires support and collaboration from landowners throughout the area where the infestation occurs.
(Could be a great way of getting to know your neighbors. Just sayin’.)
The goal of reporting is to enable local authorities to:
- Prioritize sites based on severity: Resources for invasive species control are limited, so prioritizing sites based on how bad off they are is essential. Widespread infestations require complex, integrated, multi-year control programs, which you can absolutely undertake yourself.
- Prevent Seed Production: The primary goal of control programs is to prevent the seed production and dispersal that fuels repeated invasion so it doesn’t get worse.
- Ensure Legal Compliance: In Michigan, the classification of autumn olive is “Restricted”, meaning it’s unlawful to possess, introduce, import, sell, or offer this species for sale as a live organism.
2. Quick Identification Checklist for Confident Reporting
Before reporting, make sure you have correctly identified the plant, as monitoring and control efforts depend on accurate data.
Better to not waste anyone’s time if you’re wrong on the ID.
Autumn olive is a deciduous shrub or small tree that can grow up to 20 feet (6 m) high (insane, I know).
When conducting a survey, look for these distinctive features:
- Simple leaves: A single, undivided leaf blade, like what you’ll find on trees like oaks and maples.
- Alternate leaves: Only one leaf grows at each node (the point where the leaf stalk joins the stem).
- Wavy margins: The edge of the leaf is kinda wavy and smooth (no “teeth”).
- Speckled: The upper surface is grayish-green with tiny white or gray dots speckled throughout (you’ll see this on the fruit too).
- Stems and twigs: Young stems are silvery or golden brown. Could also be thorny.
- Seasonal visibility: It is often easiest to locate the plant in early spring or late fall because the leaves will grow out earlier and remain later than most native species.
Once you successfully identify it, you’ll immediately identify them pretty quick in the future.
3. Step-by-Step Guide on How to Report
To formally document a widespread Autumn Olive infestation on a landscape scale, authorities rely on detailed mapping and communication tools:
A. Make use of MISIN for Reporting
The suggested tool for tracking the spread of invasive species is the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN for short).
- Go to https://www.misin.msu.edu/login/register/? And create a free account.
- Click on “My MISIN” at the top.
- Click on “Report Invasive Species”.
- Click on the “Common Name” drop-down menu and select “autumn olive”.
- Type in the address of where the infestation is.
- For the Project, select “MISIN (Public Reporting)” (unless you’re part of a group already that’s listed as an option).
- Fill out the remaining information, including size of infestation, date of observance, density, etc.
- You can add photos, but it’s not necessary.
- Once you submit, you have the option of printing your report for your records.
B. You can also contact local invasive species management organizations
In Michigan, numerous governmental and environmental agencies coordinate invasive species management, often working with local groups like the Invasive Species Network (ISN).
- Invasive Species Network (ISN) Contact: The ISN provides resources ranging from ID and reporting tools to treatment options and cost-share opportunities (funding programs where a government agency or organization provides a portion of the money needed for a project, requiring the landowner or recipient to pay the remaining percentage).
- You can contact them directly at 231-252-4148.
- Address: 3334 Veterans Drive Unit A, Traverse City, Michigan 49684.
- Michigan DNR & MDARD: Organizations like the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) are heavily involved in plant health and invasive species programs.
- 517-284-6367 (or 517-284-7275 for Parks and Rec, if applicable)
- DNR-Director@Michigan.gov (or DNR-ParksAndRecreation@Michigan.gov)
- Could also try their Wildlife department:
- 517-284-9453
- DNR-Wildlife@Michigan.gov
C. Contribute to Distribution Records
When autumn olive is first found in a county where it has not been documented, submitting a specimen to a place like the University of Michigan Herbarium can serve as an authoritative record of its plant distribution.
It’s not going to help you get rid of it faster, but it serves as an important resource for local botanists and researchers.
Reporting a widespread infestation makes sure that efforts can be prioritized for high value sites, of which yours (or one that you find) may be.
Effective control requires a lot of resources and typically mandates the strategic use of herbicides (yes, herbicides) as well as other control methods to kill established plants and prevent resprouting.
Getting rid of an autumn olive infestation is hard enough as it is.
Hopefully this guide helped you in getting it rid of quicker if you can’t do it on your own.
In the meantime, you could always take advantage of the fruit (it’s delicious and super nutritious).
Touch grass,
Trevor.
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