When weeds attack

In August 2011, the aggressive water weed Hydrilla verticillata was discovered in Cayuga Inlet near the Farmer's Market. Without quick action to tame the invasive plant, "this pest will ruin Ithaca’s waterfront and probably infest much of the entire lake, and could spread throughout the region and even to the Great Lakes," writes Cornell's New York Invasive Species Research Institute. Tompkins County Cornell Cooperative Extension is also working on the problem. In the video below, Holly Menninger, senior extension associate, explains the environmental emergency and what we can do about it.