Ok, this is the last post...

It's been five weeks since our lunch at Mamma Teresa's - how time flies! Geoff, Hedrik and Barry decided to continue coming in as long as weather permitted. Our main goal was to deal with the Asian bittersweet in the birch stand and the Lamium in a section of the Old Field, both pointed out by Christine in a walkabout.

Vines and seeds climbing the birches

 One way Asian bittersweet spreads is by seed, which birds love to eat. The seeds were rapidly ripening up, their yellow covering peeling back to reveal the brilliant red seed inside. The vines had spread up into the birches, with seeds growing everywhere. On November 1, our main task was to cut off seed clusters, hauling down vines as necessary. We went some way to filling a couple of garbage bags

The following Tuesday, November 8, we helped Brian, one of the Friday volunteers, build a log-walled plot just off the bridge in which were planted over a dozen dogwood of several varieties. Geoff hived off to cut down another Asian bittersweet plant, this one a much smaller vine growing along the fence on the north side of the pond. It was important to get it out, as directly south of it, near the Green Heron road, is a small native bittersweet, already challenged by DSV and wild grape. The Asian and native bittersweet can hybridize, something we'd prefer to prevent.

Bittersweet roots...

 On November 15, we returned to the south end of the Butterfly Meadow, this time to take out as much of the extensive system of Asian bittersweet vines as possible, which Barry and Geoff tackled while Hedrik dug out a good deal of the nearby Lamium. We found lots more seeds, so those garbage bags were stuffed by the time we were done. The main vines were pulled down, uprooted where possible, cut up and piled on site. Hedrik soldiered away on the Lamium, its spreading root system intertwined with the even more extensive roots of the raspberries, goldenrod and DSV that grow in that northern section of the Old Field.

Geoff and Hedrik discuss the Lamiun.

 Come spring, both patches will need to be checked and the work continued to contain the inevitable regrowth. Christine appreciated our efforts and agreed that tilling the area where the Lamium is spreading might be a good way to get at it. Geoff was the only one available on November 22; he spent some time taking out mature burdock plants to control the spread of seeds, a sticky business. Today, the 29th, has been a rainy one. With December around the corner, this could indeed be it for the season.

Last post of the season

We had our end of season lunch October 18 at Mamma Teresa's - a much more pleasant way to spend a Tuesday! Many thanks to the entire team for each of your contributions to the success of the season. It's a truism that's true: nothing could have happened without a team willing to take on the impossible but essential task of dealing with invasives.

Although the group is officially ended now, several members have decided to keep on working on good weather Tuesdays. We still have a few things to do, such as recutting in several places that have grown up enough to produce pods. But we'd also like to try a few more experimental things, such as digging up DSV in several places to see how the roots form and to remove mulch / thatch in selected areas to see whether this makes overwintering more difficult. Re the latter, Geoff and Barry came out on the 25th to continue cleaning mulched DSV out of the field south of the pond. Some wild grape vine also got pulled in that area.

Christine has informed of a couple of other invasives, fortunately still very local, but rapidly spreading. One is Lamium, sold in nurseries as a ground cover. The other is Asian bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), a beautiful but Kudzu(shudder!)-like vine overtaking a small stand of white birches just south of the Butterfly Meadow. How much we'll do this season is hard to predict, given the weather, but these plants will be added to the already too-long list of invasives to research in the coming months. We have another busy season ahead in 2012 - see you then!

Barry Fights DSV

As the season wraps up, it is time for a huge thank you to Barry for leading the "Tuesday Invasive Species Group" at Fletcher Wildlife Garden (FWG). 

After having been introduced to the invasive and relentless Dog-Strangling Vine (DSV) last year, Barry decided to take on the challenge of battling it and any other invasive species at FWG.   His first step was to undertake a comprehensive literature review of more than 50 scientific articles to establish a strategy on how to tackle the daunting task ahead.  When May 2011 came along, he began coordinating a small group of volunteers on a weekly quest to pull, cut and hack away any hint of DSV.   It has to be said that the name of the group "Tuesday Invasive Species Group" is a misnomer.  As Barry would regularly put in another shift on Friday and often yet another on the weekend.   

Barry led the group tirelessly (well, ok, I suppose it was quite tiring!) to make the biggest impact on DSV at FWG yet.  Thank you Barry and here's to next season ....

WEEK 24, October 11

With all other volunteers out of commission for various reasons, Geoff bravely soldiered on on his own. The northern section of the Old Field had been mowed by AAFC, at Christine's request, at the end of last week. Geoff had intended to continue the cutting begun nearby in the Ash Woods, but found a patch of DSV near the mowed area. 

NE corner of the Old Field, before cutting...

This patch had been cut before and had regrown to the point that it needed another round. Geoff got much of it, as evidenced by the stack of cuttings left behind for disposal by AAFC.

...and after.

The results.

WEEK 23, October 4

Barry, Geoff, Hedrik, Christine

We tackled two areas today, the field south of the pond where we worked the past couple of weeks, and a new area, a section of the Ash Woodlot right at the end of Green Heron Road. In the area near the pond, Geoff recut a patch just east of the trail running south from the bridge to Green Heron Road, while Hedrik and Barry tidied up in the southeast corner of the field itself. Eight bags of DSV were left at the roadside for AAFC pick-up. Our natural history moment came in the form of a praying mantis, probably Mantis religiosa, quite a rare sight:

 

 When we reached the new area around break-time, a debate broke out as to the merits of cutting plants that are still green and growing versus plants that are yellowing and preparing to release their seeds. One side argued that more damage would be done to the green plants if they were cut over the yellowing plants, which had already sent nutrition down into the roots for next year's growth. The other side noted that a key objective was removal of seeds from the seed bank. Christine happened along at this point to do some work in the Old Field, the northern section of which is scheduled to be cut by AAFC in a couple of days. Ever wise, she noted that both sides had valid points. Fortunately, the area being contemplated had both kinds of growth, so off the scythers went to do their damage, whatever it might come to. Christine had come in on her own earlier in the week, so with her work then and the work today, another 14 bags of DSV were soon piled up. Grand total for the day, 22 bags. We'll continue with this area next Tuesday.

Before and...

after - two views from the Ash Woodlot.