Earthworm events in MN    Lee E. Frelich    May 10, 2006 08:03 PDT  ENTS: This is a big week as my graduate student Andy Holdsworth successfully defended his Ph.D. Thesis: 'Earthworm Invasion: Patterns, Ecological Effects, and Implications for Conservation in Northern Hardwood Forests', complete with public seminar, private exam with the faculty committee, and following party on Monday. Several visitors have been here for the occasion including Andy's family, who have been busy going to concerts and comparing the MN Orchestra to the renowned orchestras of their home towns, Cleveland and Philadelphia, and world renowned earthworm expert Paul Hendrix from the University of Georgia. Dr. Hendrix is following European earthworm invasions, and now Asian earthworm invasions on top of those in the GSMNP. Needless to say, big changes are coming to the park as these worms eat their way through, just like the changes we are now observing in the Porkies, Boundary Waters, Berkshires, and other areas we thought were relatively safe. ...Pretty soon it will be time to select a new graduate student to carry on the earthworm invasion research. Lee   Home