AUBURN – The Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program is leading the second annual Woodbury Brackett Environmental Center Community Lecture Series this summer. All talks are free and open to the public at the center on Gracelawn Road. Preregistration is appreciated but not required.

“Plants of the Amazon Rain Forest” will be the topic at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18. Keith Williams, Ph.D., environmental scientist, highland lake monitor and explorer of all things aquatic, will share slides, video and stories of his July adventure on the Amazon River.

An invasive plant patrol workshop will be held from 3 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31.

The basic workshops are for anyone interested in learning more about the threat of invasive aquatic plants in Maine. The workshop covers an overview of invasive aquatic plants in Maine and plant identification with hands-on exercises. Preregistration is required for the workshop.

Mark Fuller, professional landscaper, and Roberta Hill of the monitoring program will discuss “Invasive Terrestrial Plants” at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8.

Invasive plants out-compete native plant species and agricultural crops, causing billions of dollars in damage each year. Many of the terrestrial plants now know to be “invaders” in Maine are commonly sold as ornamental landscape plantings.

A quick and easy primer on some of Maine’s most troublesome plants will be given. After getting to know the plants and seeing some of the damage they can do, participants will set off on a hunt for some local invaders.

The Woodbury Brackett Environmental Center was landscaped in the days before the dangers posed by many of these invaders were well understood, and though work is under way to eliminate the undesirables, many of the worst offenders are still present.

For more information, contact the VLMP at 783-7733 or e-mail [email protected].