On Thursday, July 10, 2025, the Quonnie Gardens & Landscapes (QG&L) committee hosted the event entitled, “Tackling Invasive Plants with Kate Hardesty” at the Quonnie Grange. Kate Hardesty has been an educator with URI Cooperative Extension since 2005 and manages the Invasive Plant Management Certification Program in Rhode Island. Since 2008, this program has certified over 250 landscape professionals in rehabilitating coastal and upland landscapes affected by invasive plants.

Nearly 40 people were in attendance to learn from Kate’s expertise on:

• Rhode Island’s most prolific invasive plants and why they have thrived here.
• How to prevent the spread of invasive species.
• A high-level overview of the Do’s and Don’ts of controlling invasive plants.
• The critical role of native vegetation in climate resilience, flood mitigation, and biodiversity.

Kate provided her slides on Terrestrial Invasive Plants (to view slides, click link HERE), which include a comprehensive list of common invasive plants in Rhode Island, numerous pictures of invasive plants, information on how invasive plants are introduced and spread, the innate power of invasive plants, and recommendations for invasive plant management.

Additionally, the QG&L committee collected brief surveys completed by attendees to gather feedback and gauge interest in conservation topics for future events. The QG&L committee also promoted the Homegrown National Park (HNP) initiative, encouraged attendees to register their properties, and distributed HNP brochures. The HNP brochure can be viewed by clicking HERE.

Finally, here are some pictures from the event!

Photo credits: Anthony Flint and Alison Wessels