Archives

• Invasive Jumping Worms Damage U.S. Soil and Threaten Forests September 29, 2020

  What could be more 2020 than an ongoing invasion of jumping worms? These earthworms are wriggling their way across the United States, voraciously devouring protective… Read more

• As Summer Takes Hold, So Do the Jumping Worms July 22, 2020

  “At the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, study of the worms began after they were discovered on the grounds in 2013. ‘They may have a cascading,… Read more

• Marian Farrior Receives Invader Crusader Award July 1, 2020

  The Wisconsin Invasive Species Council has recognized Marian Farrior as a 2020 Invader Crusader. The awards are presented to individuals and groups for outstanding… Read more

• Cancel Earthworms January 23, 2020

  “In the absence of worms, North American hardwood forests develop a thick blanket of duff—a mille-feuille of slowly decomposing leaves deposited over the course of… Read more

• Invasive 'Jumping' Worms Are Now Tearing Through Midwestern Forests January 2, 2020

  “The writhing worm in ecologist Brad Herrick’s hand is still fairly new in town, but it’s taken only a few years for its kind to collectively damage swaths of… Read more

• The Impact of Urban Land Use on Aquatic Diversity November 4, 2019

  Equipped with waders and nets, members of professor Dan Preston’s UW–Madison aquatic ecology lab set out this summer to learn what is living in and… Read more

• Heat Kills Invasive Jumping Worm Cocoons, Could Help Limit Spread June 20, 2019

  New Arboretum research shows that temperatures of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit kill the cocoons of invasive jumping worms. But this is just an early step… Read more

• The Crazy Snake Worm Invasion You Haven’t Heard About February 21, 2019

  Earthworms may seem harmless, but they have the power to transform some of America’s forests—and not in a good way. Named for the way they… Read more

• Faville Prairie Brush Mowing Project September 30, 2018

  In addition to the 1,200-acre property in Madison, Arboretum staff manage eleven properties throughout Wisconsin that are owned by the University of Wisconsin Board of… Read more

• Herrick Selected as an “Invader Crusader” June 28, 2018

  The Wisconsin Invasive Species Council has recognized Arboretum ecologist Brad Herrick as a 2018 Invader Crusader. The awards are presented to… Read more

• Asian Jumping Worms: What We Know March 30, 2018

  Ecologist Brad Herrick spoke to Margaret Roach about jumping worms for her “A Way to Garden” podcast, which is produced by Robin Hood Radio in… Read more

• Research Update: What Are We Learning about Jumping Worms? January 31, 2018

  Invasive jumping worms (Amynthas spp.) continue to be a hot topic in the media, at local garden clubs and plant sales, and in the research… Read more

• No damage to vegetation by jumping worms shown yet, but invasion is still new January 19, 2018

  There’s no known way to eradicate the invasive species called “jumping worms” when they make their way into a large area, a UW–Madison Arboretum ecologist… Read more

• Invasive Worms Spreading in Arboretum Forests, Limited Effects So Far January 12, 2018

  Despite Asian jumping worms’ known appetite for leaf litter and tendency to change soil nutrients, researchers found limited evidence of changes to vegetation in areas… Read more

• Land Care Report: Skunk Cabbage Wetlands and Wingra Woods Clearing January 3, 2018

  In the eastern part of Wingra Woods, along the western edge of Arboretum Drive, a brush-clearing project is underway in a little-known management unit called… Read more

• Citizen scientists scour Madison area for invasive jumping worms September 15, 2017

  “From Fitchburg to Governor’s Island and Monona to Middleton, teams of volunteers dispersed across the Madison area Sept. 10 in search of small, pink, wriggling… Read more

• Restoration Team Leaders: Core Members of the Community June 29, 2017

  Restoration team leaders are some of the unsung heroes of the Arboretum. For the last 25 years, year-round, in all kinds of weather conditions, at… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Legumes in Summer Gardens June 29, 2017

  In July, many members of the pea or bean family (Fabaceae) bloom or are in fruit in our prairie and savanna gardens. Some species are welcome,… Read more

• Digging Deeper: Several Invasive Species Posing Big Threat to Wisconsin's Ecosystem June 28, 2017

  Arboretum ecologist Brad Herrick talks with WKOW’s Nick Buffo about the invasive jumping worm (Amynthas spp.) for a segment on invasive species in Wisconsin. See… Read more

• Jumping Worms: The Creepy, Damaging Invasive You Don’t Know October 31, 2016

  “Disturb a jumping worm and it’s like a nightcrawler on steroids: It violently writhes on the forest floor, recalling a snake in a bad horror… Read more