Oregon Public Broadcasting

Walk outdoors -- and no matter where you are in Oregon, you're likely to see signs of the foreign invasion.

Invasive plants and animals are becoming more of a concern for the state's ecology -- so much so that Tuesday Gov. Ted Kulongoski convened a statewide conference to talk about the threat to native plants and ecosystems.

One topic discussed at the conference was a new survey paid for by the Nature Conservancy. Experienced Oregon pollster Lisa Grove conducted the research and joins me to talk about it.

Grove says support for action on invasives was strong across urban and rural regions of Oregon. She thinks that's not terribly surprising. As someone who spends part of her year living in Prineville, she figures those living outside cities have more opportunities to see the damage invasives have done.

Looking at Oregon's list of threatened species, biologists believe invasive plants and animals are responsible for over forty percent of the listings. For more info:Silent Invasion - OPB's ongoing series about invasive species

Interesting recipes for some of Oregon's more flavorful invasives