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WVPE is your gateway to green and sustainable resources in Michiana. Sustainability is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This is accomplished by finding a balance between businesses, the environment, and our society (people, planet, and profit).State, National and International resources on sustainability include:The Environmental Protection AgencyThe Natural StepSustainability Dictionary45 Sustainability Resources You Need to Know Explore ways to support sustainability in the Michiana area through the Green Links Directory.Sept. 17, 2019 from 2-3:30pm"Global Warming: A Hot Topic"Sept. 17, 19, 24, and 26All sessions are from 2-3:30pmGreencroft Goshen Community Center in the Jennings Auditorium1820 Greencroft Blvd.Goshen, IN 46526The event will look at possible solutions and suffering as well as consequences beyond warmer weather. The event will examine what other civilizations have or haven’t done when faced with environmental problems. Plus there will be an exploration of the biggest unknown in the climate system: What will the humans do? Paul Meyer Reimer teaches physics, math and climate change at Goshen College. The events are presented by the Lifelong Learning Institute. The Institute can be reached at: (574) 536-8244lifelonglearning@live.comhttp://life-learn.org/

Agriculture Officials Really Want Those Spotted Lanternflies Gone, Gone, Gone

By Jonathan Franklin

Published August 24, 2021 at 12:50 PM EDT

Adult Spotted Lanternflies outside the Berks County Services Building in Reading, PA Monday afternoon. The Spoted Lanternfly is an invasive species from Asia.

Heads up: There's an unwelcome visitor in Pennsylvania and officials are urging residents to take caution.

The spotted lanternfly has been moving in and threatening agriculture and trees, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

The flies are known to cause some serious damage to trees, including oozing sap, wilting and leaf curling. In more serious cases, they can cause trees, vines, crops and many other types of plants to die.

In addition to plant damage, once spotted lanternflies feed, they eject a sugary substance, otherwise known as honeydew, that encourages the growth of black sooty mold. Each fall, the bugs will lay egg masses with 30-50 eggs each.

If you're in Pennsylvania and see a spotted lanternfly, officials say it is imperative to immediately report it online to the state Department of Agriculture or by phone, especially if you are not inside one of the county's quarantine zones.

In the meantime, Pennsylvania officials give the following advice to those who encounter the pesky insects: "Kill it! Squash it, smash it ... just get rid of it."

Back in 2014, the pests were first found in Pennsylvania and have since spread to multiple counties, which are now quarantined.

In March, the state's agriculture department added eight additional counties to its "Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine" list, for a total of 34 out of 67 Pennsylvania counties now in quarantine.