Phyllis is a Senior Conservation Scientist and Botanist with the Michigan Natural Features Inventory with 26 years of field-based experience studying Michigan’s native ecosystems and vulnerable species. She is working statewide to promote awareness of Michigan’s rich natural heritage and to increase capacity for early detection, mapping and strategic control of invasive species – one of the greatest threats to biodiversity conservation worldwide. Most recently, she worked with colleagues to focus attention on the threat of invasive species to one of Michigan’s greatest treasures – its Great Lakes Islands.