“Slowly, but persistently, making their way across the land, ecologically invasive plants are the silent invaders of our time” quoted from Elizabeth J. Czarapata’s book Invasive Plants of the Upper Midwest. 

Most of us don’t even know they exist. We have the illusion of lush, green landscapes, when in fact, much of what we see are invasive plant species. In reality, invasive species have contributed directly to the decline of 49% of threatened or endangered species in the United States. The annual cost to the United States economy is estimated at $138 billion a year, with over 100 million acres suffering from invasive plant infestations.

Because there is a need for a greater understanding, it is IPAW’s mission “to promote better stewardship of the Natural Resources of Wisconsin by advancing the understanding of invasive plants, preventing their introduction and encouraging the control of their spread.”