The Verde River Basin Partnership (Partnership) is sponsoring a free presentation titled, ?Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition (VWRC): Invasive Plant Management and Beyond? on Wednesday, February 18th at 10:30 a.m. in Prescott at the Board Chambers of the Yavapai County Administrative Building at 1015 Fair Street. No RSVP is necessary. The Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition (VWRC) is a public/private partnership working collaboratively to manage invasive plants in riparian areas on a watershed-scale, using a cooperative and coordinated approach. Anna Schrenk, Program Manager for the Friends of the Verde River Greenway, will share some challenges, opportunities and accomplishments that the VWRC partnership has worked on during the last three years. She will also discuss current planning efforts by VWRC to expand the their restoration scope to address restoration needs beyond invasive plant management. The Verde River is treasured for its wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, water supply, and natural beauty, especially its lush riparian corridor. Invasive species can greatly impact the ecosystem structure and function of riparian zones. Riparian ecosystems foster unique biodiversity and they are important in preventing erosion, protecting water quality, providing habitat and wildlife corridors, and directly maintaining the health of aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms. Anna Schrenk manages Friends of Verde River Greenway?s (FVRG) efforts to restore, preserve and promote the natural, cultural, scenic and recreational resources on the Verde River and its tributaries. She has coordinated the efforts of the Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition since 2012. Ms. Schrenk?s expertise includes over 17 years working on vegetation management projects for the National Park Service and US Forest Service and implementing post-fire rehabilitation projects in the Southwest for several Department of Interior agencies. She has a degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Plant Ecology from Prescott College. The Partnership is a scientific and educational resource raising awareness among citizens and community leaders about the workings of Verde River Basin?s interconnected groundwater and surface water systems, and the life they support. To find out more about their events and to see other educational materials relating to shared-water resources visit www.vrbp.org.