The Biological Control of Purple Loosestrife curriculum was developed for informal educational settings. A youth manual and educator guide is avaliable on-line (youth, adult) and from Purdue's Media Distribution (enter "purple" in the Search box). The publication numbers are 4-H 917 (youth) and 4-H 918 (adult).

The youth manual includes the following activities:
- Introduction to wetlands
- Aliens among us
- Annual wetland plant diversity survey
- Is purple loosestrife a problem in our county?
- Biological control of purple loosestrife
- Biological control agent: host-plant specificity
- Purple loosestrife & galerucella beetle rearing
- Observations & life cycles
- Galerucella beetle release\
-Evaluating the impact of galerucella on purple loosestrife

Educational Standards

The leaders guide (4-H 918) has answers to the youth manual activities (above) and the following, additional topics:

• Overview of the purple loosestrife project
• Experiential learning
• Frequently asked questions
• Meeting the standards
• Finding a wetland
• Timeline for student activities
• Appendices:
  -Removing Purple Loosestrife by Hand
  -Purple Loosestrife Control Options
  -Natural Enemies to Control Purple Loosestrife
  -Raising Galerucella Beetles Indoors
  -Outdoor Rearing of Galerucella Beetles
  -Life History and Ecology of G. calmariensis and G. pusilla
  -Life History and Ecology of Hylobius transversovittatus
  -Site Selection Guidelines for Release of Galerucella Beetles
  -Wetlands: Habitats in Peril
  -Alternative Lesson Plan

Additional resource: Galerucella life cycle (in a wetland habitat)

Youth Natural Resource programs home page

Updated: September, 2006