Sustainability Series: SEEING THE UNSEEN: AQUATIC INVADERS & WHAT’S AT STAKE with Amy Jewitt

Director: Jessica & Brendan Walsh

Join us on Wednesday, October 1st at 7:00 p.m. as our Sustainability Film Series features an excellent documentary that examines the effects of invasive species that threaten the close-to-home ecosystems in the Lake Erie region!

Admission is FREE and open to the public – Tickets are required

This event will include a preshow presentation by Amy Jewitt from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

About the film

Lake Erie, one of the most picturesque landscapes and important ecosystems in Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, and nearby regions are at risk from aquatic invasive species. In the new film, “Seeing The Unseen: Aquatic Invaders & What’s at Stake,” executive produced by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program staff, you’ll learn how hundreds of aquatic invasive species are negatively affecting Lake Erie and its watershed and nearby regions.

Invasive species – non-native species that do not occur naturally in an area and grow quickly and aggressively, out-competing native species for food, habitat and other limited resources – are threatening the health and biodiversity of this rich and important natural ecosystem. This film provides tangible actions we all can take to prevent the spread of invasives and protect Lake Erie and nearby regions.

About the speaker

Amy Jewitt, a co-executive producer for this film, serves as the Invasive Species Coordinator at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. Amy’s past experiences with both the Plum Pox Virus and Asian Longhorned Beetle eradication programs have made her a passionate advocate for raising awareness of the impacts invasive species have on the environment, economy, and human health and well-being.

Amy has a combined 12 years of professional experience working with invasive species eradication programs and tracking invasive species locations and management efforts. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science from Penn State University with minors in horticulture, international agriculture and leadership development.