The Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council will examine the control and management of invasive insects and plants at the council’s annual conference on Monday, Oct. 30, at the University of Georgia Griffin campus. 

The daylong educational event is co-sponsored by UGA-Griffin, the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Department of Horticulture and the Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture. The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Topics covered at the conference will include landscape biodiversity, invasive insects in urban and rural forests, biological control of nonnative pests and a screening process for invaders, wildflowers and pollinators.

After lunch, attendees will participate in hands-on sessions that will address control and management techniques, identification of invasive species and the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health’s Southeast Early Detection Network (SEEDN) app.

Experts from CAES, UGA Cooperative Extension, University of Florida, Southern Regional Extension Forestry, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, Georgia Power and the professional landscape industry will present information at the conference.  

Attendees can earn five hours of pesticide credits in Category 21, “Agricultural Plant Pest Control”; Category 23, “Forest Pest Control”; and Category 24, “Ornamental and Turf Pest Control.” Seven credits for Society of American Foresters (SAF) Forester, Category 1, and 5.5 arborist continuing education units from the International Society of Arboriculture will also be awarded for participation.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. The cost is $70 and includes lunch. Students can attend for $20.

The deadline to register is Monday, Oct. 23. To register with a credit or debit card, visit georgia-eppc.eventbrite.com or call (770) 228-7214.