WEEK 20, Wednesday(!), September 14

Volunteers: Barry, Hedrik

Owing to threatening weather on Tuesday, we postponed until Wednesday the 14th. The bad news is this cost us Marg's contribution, as she couldn't come that day. As it turned out, the rains held off until later Tuesday afternoon, although the downpour helped in that pulling from wet soil is easier. We returned to the east central part of the New Woods, the area of our first efforts in May - what a near jungle it has become! Early removal of DSV seems to have encouraged the growth of many other plants, including such other invasives as comfrey, burdock and Canada thistle.

Hedrik made the disconcerting discovery in a large patch of young burdock that DSV spreads out along the ground, almost hidden from view by the spreading burdock leaves, and concentrates on seed production at the expense of strong stems. 

Hedrik pulling the hidden DSV.

This experience will have us rethinking early cutting. In the past, late June has been recommended as the time to start cutting. A couple of months are lost, however, so we started cutting on May 17, with recutting part of the plan. Rather than waiting, the big lesson might be increased diligence in assessing cutover areas. The New Woods is rather out of the way - you have to go there, rather than walk past it to get somewhere - so this is one to plan better next year.

This is only a portion of the fence...

In addition to the New Woods, DSV was scythed and pulled in the Hedgerow. This long, narrow area has not been treated systematically yet, so there was quite a bit of DSV growing up into the trees. The worst was discovering that almost the entire chain-link fence around the ball diamond has DSV growing straight up it, so many pods releasing seeds that it cannot be worked.

Tackling DSV is hard work, so the natural history breaks we usually get are always welcome. Of several this day, the discovery of a couple of large puffballs, both, oddly enough, right at the opening of ground-hog burrows, was the most interesting. As well, we were briefly supervised by our little buddy on the comfrey leaf and a couple of times watched a hummingbird flitting around the jewelweed.

In the early afternoon Barry did some additional 'gleaning' near the Interpretation Centre, trying to catch plants that were missed in previous efforts. There is always more DSV, it seems! An additional bag was enough to call it a day. In all, eleven bags were collected and piled up for AAFC to remove.