Tuesday Invasive Species Group at FWG

Ok, this is the last post...

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:51:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:25:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 19:25:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:36:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:16:00 +0000

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.

WEEK 22, September 27

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:34:00 +0000

Barry, Geoff, Hedrik, Marg

Today was a rather frustrating experience, as we all dealt with the bagging of mulched and newly cut DSV in the field south of the pond. Geoff completed the bagging in the area he had scythed on Saturday then joined the rest of us in cleaning up. The south slope of the pond already had some piles ready for bagging, but other loose materials from previous cuttings needed to be raked up and bagged as well. The central part of the larger field south of the pond trail was our main focus. Tidying this up was pretty hard work, as the mulched DSV was reduced to long, hardy vines mixed with new growth that was difficult to cut. But at the end of the morning, 28 bags were waiting along the Green Heron Road for pickup by AAFC.

View of east side of the field.

View from the bridge - the group was all over that field! The orange bush in the pond is the water willow, most of which was removed on Friday afternoon as noted below.

Friday, September 30: Barry came in for a shift that had little to do with the usual TISG activities. He spent some time with a group working in the Butterfly Meadow. There is still some DSV there but his main task was getting a section ready for tilling. After lunch, Barry, Brian and Diane worked for an hour or so on invasives in the pond. Brian and Diane put on chest-waders and braved the mucky bottom, filling buckets with frog-bit and flowering rush that Barry emptied into a wheelbarrow for carting off to dump on unsuspecting DSV. One way to solve the mulch issue! Four barrow loads with 5 or 6 bucketsful each totted up to quite a bit of material being removed. About 30 Black and Mallard ducks didn't seem to mind our being there - they still had lots of duckweed left and we were an improvement over the crazed mutt that was braying and chasing them earlier in the day.

WEEK 21, September 20

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:02:00 +0000

Barry, Geoff, Hedrik, Marg

It was great to have as many as four of us out again after a few weeks of reduced numbers. Geoff took time out from his vacation to join us and so off we all went to the New Woods to continue our efforts at recutting. Hedrik had come in on Sunday to do some cutting, so we had piles of DSV from Friday and Sunday to bag up, while Geoff continued cutting and bagging in his favourite spot, the northwest corner backing onto Green Heron Road.

At break we had quite a discussion about the phenomenon Hedrik noted last week, that DSV is growing along the ground under the first-year burdock leaves in a large central patch. These plants appear to be weaker in terms of stems and more prolific in terms of pods. They are almost invisible beneath the burdock. Hedrik has been working on this now for the last three or four sessions, and sparked our discussion with speculation on the possible evolutionary reasons why DSV might grow in this way. This kind of discussion reminds us how little we know about this plant and helps frame questions for further thought and research.

The trail of bags...

Marg caught in the act

Hedrik pondering DSV growth patterns...

Our efforts resulted in 26 bags of DSV piled up behind the barn, where AAFC can easily leave a wagon for loading on Friday.

Barry took a walk around FWG to see how things stand as our season winds down. The TISG has accomplished an amazing amount of work, with most major areas showing green rather than the yellowing vines of DSV with their fluffy white parachutes. These can still be found in various pockets, the southern part of the Old Field being the largest and worst of these. Most of these pockets are too advanced to deal with this year, but several areas, especially in the Ash Woods and the Ravine, are still susceptible to being cut. Weather is becoming a factor as are fall schedules, but we'll continue into early October at least.

Friday, September 16

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Barry and Hedrik returned to continue working in the New Woods and the field south of the pond. We decided today was one for cutting, leaving the bagging for next Tuesday. Hedrik worked his way west toward the barn, cutting DSV around the fir trees that separate this area from the central 'valley' of the New Woods. He continued around and down into the large patch of burdock he was working on earlier. Barry worked either side of the trail running south to Green Heron Road. After break, both of us worked on the western half of the pond's south slope and the field south of that. Hedrik also gave a much-needed cut to an small, overlooked patch on the west end of the pond near the willow. (We really do need to develop some code for the many different areas of the FWG!)

Hedrik's trail of destruction.

The burdock patch...

South slope of the pond after cutting.

Glenda is doing some research into DSV and posted a DSV Facts note that brought to our attention some important new findings regarding the consequences of using DSV as mulch. We've been doing this ever since we started cutting it, only bagging consistently in the past few weeks. Turns out we should have been bagging all along, as DSV continues to take a toll even as a mulch, providing leachates that discourage growth of other plants. Is there no end to the pernicious survival strategies of this plant? Apparently not! In a way, it's welcome news, as the issue of when to start bagging is clarified and we can in future avoid a big problem resulting from mulch, i.e., the increased difficulty in subsequent cuttings. We will no longer have to worry about predicting whether mulched vines will release their seeds - the pods on cut vines dry out faster - and inadvertently releasing them ourselves when our scythes crash into the decaying vines as we cut renewed growth. We've always understood that this year is experimental; here's an excellent example of new learning resulting in revision of our techniques.

More DSV Facts

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:23:00 +0000

We certainly know that Dog-Strangling Vine (DSV or Cynanchum rossicum) is extremely good at reproducing by seeds. Now, research is shedding light on yet another weapon in DSV's arsenal of self-protection.

It appears that tissue leachates and root exudates are detrimental to the seed germination and growth of other species. In other words, when the plant stems and leaves decompose, they give off biochemicals that deter the growth of other plants. Biologists know these effects as phytotoxicity and allelopathy. Further study is needed to understand the extent of the effect, but on the surface this appears to be something to be cautious of. (Source: Invasive Plant Science and Management)

This would mean that cut DSV should be removed and disposed of, rather than keeping it around as mulch in the hopes that it might inhibit further DSV growth. As it turns out, we had already realized that re-cutting areas where the DSV was left as mulch was quite a challenge and so had begun removing cut DSV. In any case, DSV control continues to be elusive.

WEEK 20, Wednesday(!), September 14

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:51:00 +0000

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.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11: FOURTH BLITZ DAY

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:38:00 +0000

This fourth and final work bee turned out to be very much like the third: 14 people came out, worked very hard, and cleared a difficult area that the regular TISG would not have able to get to. As with all our bees, some familiar faces - including half the TISG - were seen along with several new people.

This week's 'newbies' included a family of three whose high school student member was working on her community service contribution. We continued along the Bill Holland trail, picking up where the third bee ended, at the section between our main sign and the bridge.

BEFORE

AFTER

We worked on both sides of the trail, as can be seen in Glenda's photographs. A couple of FWG regulars also worked in the ravine, just down from the Interpretation Centre. Everyone took to the task with a will, resulting in 33 bags - stuffed to the limit - of cut and pulled DSV.

During break it occurred to me to note that with DSV seeds now being released, we should all check our clothing and shoes to make sure that we're not carrying any away to be inadvertently spread elsewhere. This is an important vector for transmission here at FWG, not just for volunteers but for all those dogwalkers and their furry, seed-collecting charges. The conversation took other turns, however, and I forgot to raise the point. I'm making it now owing to the surprise I had when I got home: no fewer than 6 fluffy parachutes, seeds still attached, were clinging to my pant legs. They're now safely in an envelope and I'm considering potting them up to see what happens over winter.

Our relationship with AAFC is now more efficient; we now have the contact info and are arranging directly to have piles of DSV picked up. This can mean planning ahead to have a wagon available for us or arranging for a wagon to be left where by the piles so that we can load it up. The arrangement we had for the work bee was that a wagon would be parked so that we could load it on Tuesday. On Monday, however, AAFC employees came by with the wagon and loaded it themselves, sparing us some hard labour. As it turned out, with inclement weather threatening, we cancelled Tuesday the 13th, electing to come instead on Wednesday. It's that time of year again...

WEEK 19, September 6

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:29:00 +0000

Volunteers: Barry, Hedrik, Marg

We all continued in the final field north of the Ash Woods, the goal being to finally finish it off. This we did, apart from some residual cleanup, Barry and Hedrik scything and Marg restoring the banks of dogwood by clipping out the DSV. The field is named for this bush and it's good to be giving it the opportunity to show itself again. A row of cedars along the trail was also cleared of climbing vines.

Seed pods are really exploding now, so all the cuttings for today were bagged, with a total of 18 huge, stuffed bags added to the existing heap.

A couple more toads were rescued and Marg spotted another large paper-wasp nest, on the canal side of the trail and safely high up in a tree. Barry took a photo of it and the bags.

Paper wasp nest

Next week we'll return to our original stomping grounds, the New Woods. Hedrik has noted how overgrown it's getting, so it's time to deal with it once again.

WEEK 18, August 30

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:19:00 +0000

Volunteers: Geoff, Barry, Christine, Marg

Geoff and Barry continued working in the field north of the Ash Woods. Christine and Marg continued their work in the north section of the Old Field. Showers had been predicted for this morning and, sure enough, by 9:45 it was too wet to work. Photos will have to wait for another day! Christine and Marg are bagging up the vines they are cutting, as they find too many seeds are being dispersed. Many seeds and, worse, parachutes without seeds, can be found on the ground, particularly in sunny areas, so we'll all need to start bagging up cut DSV. This will also make disposal easier as well as prevent even more seeds being released when AAFC comes to remove the cut plants.

Friday, September 2: Barry continued working in the area north of the Ash Woods, adding to the piles of cut DSV abandoned to the rain on Tuesday. A large patch of bushes that Glenda had worked so hard to clear has now been scythed around completely, but some work remains to be done, especially along the eastern-most trail through the Woods. Photos were taken for the database.

An apparent family of toads was disturbed by this work. After clearing some cut vines and with scythe in hand, Barry noticed a small toad trying to escape. It was caught and released in a safe spot further in the Woods. A second toad emerged, with the same result, and then a third was found. All were quite small, less than 50 centimetres in length. Number four was larger - perhaps 80-90 centimetres - and lighter in colour, but similarly patterned. All four were captured and transferred to the same spot, so hopefully will be fine. One never knows, of course. They appear to be American Toads (Bufo americanus), common to FWG. The other natural history note was discovery of a quite strange fungus; unlike the toads, it was photographed but has not yet been identified.

WEEK 17, August 23

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Volunteers: Geoff, Hedrik, Marg

Geoff continued working in the field north of the Ash Woods, while Hedrik and Marg worked in the New Woods, returning to the first area worked by TISG. Geoff sent several photos of his efforts, which he continued on Saturday the 27th.

WEEK 16, August 16 & 18

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:08:00 +0000

Tuesday, August 16

Volunteers: Barry, Glenda, Geoff, Hedrik, Christine, Marg

We continued working in the fields just north of the Ash Woods and made good progress again. This area is tough going, with bent over DSV, lots of bushes and trees and patches of goldenrod. But we had quite a stack of cut plants by the end of the morning. We're beginning to bag it up now, as seeds are being released. DSV seems to release seeds first closest to the ground, so sometimes we don't see them until the plants are cut and moved. It's still better to take out this material, as the seeds left behind are far fewer than those that would be there if nothing was done.

The four of us returned to the IC for our break so that we could have a discussion of our work to date, future goals and how the group is changing over the next while. Glenda is returning to work, so this is most likely her final Tuesday with the group. She has worked very hard and diligently, often the first to arrive and last to leave, so she'll be missed! Barry is away next week and Geoff will be gone the first 3 weeks of September. We took a look at the map and could see where we've been and what's left to do. The upshot of the discussion is that we'll try when we can to make up some of the time that will be lost by coming in as we can at other times.

BEFORE

AFTER

Christine and Marg worked in a couple of sections of the Old Field, continuing to pull and clip DSV from among the various other plants. They are finding too that seeds are being released and that bagging is becoming an unfortunate necessity.

Thursday, August 18: Barry and Hedrik came in this morning and spent a couple of hours in the hot sun continuing in the central field north of the Ash Woods. Both of us scythed away, managing to avoid the large paper-wasp nest - now marked by a warning sign - and created a new heap of cut DSV plus at least half a dozen bags. We made good progress, but two hours was enough!

WEEK 15: August 12 & 13

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:33:00 +0000

Friday, August 12: Barry came in for a regular shift that turned out to be anything but. A couple of weeks ago, a new invasive was discovered in the BYG; it became the subject of discussion last Friday, when it was identified as Dodder. This is a very strange plant, a parasite that lives entirely on host plants; in fact, it dies if it cannot find a host within a day or two of germinating. As well, Barry and Sandy had arranged to spend some time Friday morning removing frog-bit from the Pond. The upshot was less time spent on DSV.

Barry did some recutting in the pond area. This was more difficult than anticipated, largely owing to the layer of mulch, i.e., previously cut DSV left behind. It's difficult to keep the scythe out of this, which kicks it up, and harder to cut the new growth. So our practice of piling cut DSV is proving to be a good one and it's necessary to rethink the mulching theory.

A tour around the Butterfly Meadow, site of the first two work bees, and the fields to the east we've been recently cutting revealed new growth already springing up. The BM has new plants coming up and in the field, cut stems are sprouting vines at their leaf nodes. It was discouraging to see long stems with as many as 8-10 nodes, each with a vine coming on.

Saturday, August 13: Geoff was unable to make the Sunday work bee so came in this morning instead. He continued scything around the row of tamaracks, working his way in the direction of the Ash Woods and again producing a large heap of cut DSV.

WEEK 15, August 9

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:56:00 +0000

Volunteers: Barry, Geoff, Glenda, Christine, Marg

The idea was to start in the first of three fields north of the Ash Woods, the one on the west side of the trail that runs along the west side of the Woods then curves around to the east. Geoff worked in this area, starting just below the curve and working his way around it, ending up on the east side of the row of tamaracks that separate this shrubby area from the middle field.

Glenda and Barry intended to work directly with Geoff but discovered that there was a good deal of DSV in the southern end of the field worked on last week. Glenda continued working there, pulling copious vines out from among the sumacs and other bushes, while Barry worked in even denser ground across the trail from her.

This is the transition point, where the Ash Woods ends and the dense shrubs and trees of the new work area begin. The scythe reached its limit in this area, and the clamp holding the blade to the snath fell apart. It was a hard day for tools, as Geoff found his rake in pieces too. The good news was discovering that a pitch fork is a pretty handy device for stacking cut vines. After a hard morning's work, Glenda stayed behind to take photographs for the blog.

Christine and Marg continued in the Old Field, weeding DSV out from among the beneficial plants in the northeast corner. At Christine's suggested, the decision has been made to mow half of the Old Field at the end of the season, i.e., in October, but the area to be mowed does not have a lot of DSV in it. The other half will be mowed in October 2012.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 14: THIRD BLITZ DAY

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:59:00 +0000

Having a work bee is a bit like throwing a party without an invitation list - hard to know how many will turn up. The numbers were down somewhat, 15 instead of the couple dozen we averaged in the first two bees, but still a solid turnout. And people worked very hard, most staying for three hours til noon and several for the full four.

We worked along the Bill Holland trail, the goal being to get rid of the DSV climbing up into the sumacs. Many of these vines were reaching heights of two metres and more and full of pods that would have soon been releasing seeds. The section from the Interpretation Centre to the main sign at the parking lot is now pretty much free of DSV.

A dozen people worked this area while Tony Denton and two others went into the ravine below the nursery to work on DSV down there. The ravine harbours a good deal more DSV than realized, being out of sight and mind unless one makes the trip down. In addition to a number of bags of DSV being hauled up, Tony freed a hawthorn from the dual affliction of DSV and wild grape.

Where's ~~Waldo~~ Hedrick?

Along the South Side of Bill Holland Trail - Before the Work Started

Along the South Side of the Bill Holland Trail After all the Hard Work

Along the North Side of Bill Holland Trail - Before the Work Started

Same Area after lots of Muscle Power

The success of this third effort is demonstrated by some 40 bags of cut DSV plants, piled on top of several wheelbarrow loads of loose cuttings - the equivalent of about 45 bags. This is a huge amount, probably the most yet for a blitz day this year or last. Well done!

See more pictures here.

Friday August 5 and Saturday August 6

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:23:00 +0000

Friday, August 5: Barry photographed the work done on Tuesday, apart from the piles of DSV, already removed by AAFC. He continued scything the area on the south side of the ravine that he and Geoff had started, working around the trees and down the upper slope of the ravine until stopped by a large stand of flowering raspberries.

There seems to be little DSV further into the ravine beyond this stand, although clumps of DSV appear at other places. The area between the mystery circle and the walnut tree is now mostly cleared, but some mop-up is still required, including raking up and stacking the cut plants.

Saturday, August 6: Geoff came in the morning to work just west of the mystery circle, clearing out the area bounded by it, the east-west trail and the sumac stand. His photographs of the work done include an impressive stack of cut DSV!

BEFORE

AFTER

AND, HERE'S WHERE ALL THE DSV WENT!

We are now ready to move east, to the three areas north of the Ash Woods. The first of these, between the north-south trail and the line of tamaracks, is in pretty good shape, there being so many trees, bushes and other plants that the DSV is pretty well confined to the out perimeter - or so it seemed on first look on Friday. The other areas are heavy with DSV which has climbed into the many scattered trees and bushes. Sandy pointed out a black-and-white paper wasp nest in one of the trees near the trail. We will need to avoid this, as this species will attack aggressively if disturbed.

Two more work bees have been scheduled, for Sunday August 14 and Sunday September 11. Notices are being put on the website and in the upcoming newsletter.

Another Weeding Bee!

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:27:00 +0000

We had SUCH a great time and accomplished so much during our July weeding bees that we want to relive the experience on August 14th (Sunday).

Please come and help!

Not sure? You can find out more about one of the July Weeding Bees we had and see how much fun everyone had. Well, I think everyone had fun, but if not fun, then at least a great sense of accomplishment.

No need to work ALL morning - an hour or so would be much appreciated. There might even be an opportunity to try out a scythe if you look serious and responsible and stay away from everyone else.

Bring: Gloves, long sleeves (some people get a mild rash from Dog-strangling Vine), water, sun protection

Where: Meet at the Interpretation Centre, just past the roundabout going south on Prince of Wales Drive.

Come on out and see how big a DSV pile you can make.

Info: fletcher@ofnc.ca

A Hero in the Battle of Invasive Species

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:50:00 +0000

As bad a Dog-Strangling Vine (DSV) is, we have to be so grateful that Kudzu is not a problem in the Ottawa area.

Kudzu is a terribly aggressive invasive in the US and now in some areas of Canada (e.g. Lake Erie). Originally from Japan, it was once thought to be an erosion control solution in the States.  Now, it has gotten out of control.  It grows up to 30 centimetres a day, blanketing everything in its path, including hydro poles, fences, houses and highway signs. Control has been extremely difficult and expensive.

And now, here is a 16 year old guy with a solution, the "Kudzu Kid".    Originally, Jacob Schindler had hopes of making his mark by growing Kudzu on Mars. When he realized that wouldn't work because of the amounts of helium on Mars, the wheels started turning and he tried injecting helium into the tuberous roots of Kudzu.  Zap. Success. Patents are pending. Experiments are running. Looks like this is working.

Maybe Jacob will turn his mind to DSV?

WEEK 13, July 26

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:38:00 +0000

Volunteers: Barry, Geoff, Glenda, Hedrik, Christine plus 7 members of the Heffner family.

The Heffners joined us this week, volunteering as a means of off-setting the environmental costs of their trip from Michigan. This is an admirable idea and they were with us for about 2 hours, until our morning got called by an incredible thunderstorm. The Heffners worked along the part of the Bill Holland trail closest to the IC and on the ravine side, then moved briefly to the field east of the Butterfly Meadow. Their main activity was clearing DSV from around and in the trees, sumacs along the trail and cedars in the field.

While Barry was with the Heffners, Glenda, Geoff and Hedrik returned to the Green Heron road to continue last week's work, along the road toward the Butterfly Meadow. AAFC had picked up the stacks of DSV cut last week and now have more to pick up.

Christine continued her work in the Old Field and also along the fence on the north slope of the Amphibian Pond. Geoff then switched to the field east of the Meadow. Glenda and Barry and the Heffners joined him there for the last half hour. We made good progress on this field and we should be able to finish it next week. After that, it's on the fields north of the Ash Woods.

The Heffner Family Gives Back to the Environment

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:01:00 +0000

This week we had the pleasure of having the Heffner family from Grand Rapids, Michigan work with us in our efforts to control Dog-strangling Vine (DSV). Pictured above are Ken and Gail Heffner with Daniel Heffner, Andrew Heffner, Morgan Stewart, and Elisabeth Heffner.

The Heffners were in town on vacation, visiting son Daniel who is a grad student here in Ottawa. Aware of the environmental impacts of their travel, they try to offset these when travelling by giving back in some way to the community they are visiting.

They found out about the Fletcher Wildlife Garden (FWG) and the struggle to control Dog-strangling Vine. DSV is a highly invasive species that thrives in sun or shade and in any type of soil. It spreads rapidly, choking out other plants and even trees in the area. It is pervasive throughout FWG, and volunteers have been busy trying to control the spread of seeds and stem the spread of DSV into areas that are not yet heavily invested.

Upon arrival, the Heffner family enthusiastically got suited up with work gloves and dug right in, so to speak!

In the couple of hours they gave to FWG, they were able to make a real difference. First, working along a busy pathway and then moving on to an open area where they were able to free up several trees and shrubs that had been covered with DSV. We all watched the dark clouds coming in and they gamely kept right on working up until the clouds broke. Torrents of rain soon came down while we took shelter in the Interpretation Centre.

At FWG, no matter how much hard work is to be done, there is always time to see some wildlife and learn from the many knowledgeable nature lovers around. Among other things, the Heffners were able to observe a young Green Heron at the Amphibian Pond (photo below) and a crab spider that has been hanging out on a common milkweed plant.

The Heffners set a wonderful example of environmental stewardship and community involvement. What a great way to give back when visiting friends and family out of town. Many thanks to the Heffners and safe travels to you all!

Friday, July 22

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:11:00 +0000

Barry scythed an area very close to the Interpretation Centre (IC), between the Bill Holland trail and the driveway to the IC and just opposite the leaf mulch compound. Several reasons for this choice: it was another hot day and this area is shaded; but it was also a chance to get a feel for what's it's like working among the sumac. This is a possible task for the Michigan family that will be working with us on Tuesday next. Barry and Barbara Riley cleared DSV from the compound fence, the second time this has been done. The first time was June 10, and the DSV was not quite as tall but already developing pods. Barry also did some clearing around the trees just to the west on the north edge of the lawn. The slope there had been mowed a couple of weeks ago by AAFC, and already DSV shoots are sprouting up.

After break, Barry went to clear up the last mounds of DSV cut on Sunday; these were spread out among the sumac there. A row of cedars separates this north east section of the Butterfly Meadow from the area immediately to the east bounded by the north-south trail running on the west side of the Ash Woods. Barry cut DSV at the edges of these trees, ripping vines down from their branches. This area is heavy with DSV and is a good candidate for more work. It and related areas to the east, along with the southern portion of the Old Field, are the last large, heavily infested areas.

The map has been updated to show this work.

WEEK 12, July 19

noreply@blogger.com (TISG) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:42:00 +0000

Volunteers: Barry, Hedrik, Geoff, Glenda, Marg

We've decided to consolidate the areas we've been working on and then evaluate where we are at this mid-point for the season. A check on Monday afternoon revealed some places that needed work in order to complete several areas. These included spots along the trails running south from the bridge and the southeast section of the field south of the pool. Three of us scythed away while Glenda and Marg clipped and pulled around the trees. Here are some before / after pictures showing the progress.

BEFORE

AFTER

A small tree is hidden by DSV - can you find it?

The small tree once freed from DSV

The upshot was that we completed these areas, with the exception of a small corner near the barn where an active bird nest is huddled low to the ground in one of the spruces. Glenda found the nest last week and immediately stopped working near it. The nest had eggs then and perhaps four altricial chicks this week.

The trails run from the bridge, forming a triangle as they reach Green Heron road. The eastern trail curves into and through the butterfly meadow, the western between the main field south of the pond and the western side of the meadow. Much of this triangle was cut over this week, so now we have contiguous cutting all along Green Heron road, with the exception of the small area at the west end where the nest was found.

Barry has completed the map, sketching in and confirming the various trails and marking areas cut and areas remaining to be worked on. The main areas remaining are all along the Bill Holland trail from the IC to the bridge, the southern part of the Old Field and the area north of the Ash Woods, sometimes referred to as the dogwood meadow. Both these latter areas are heavily infested and it may be that the best we can do is clear around the many trees and shrubs being overtaken by DSV. A final area is the west end of the New Woods, up to Prince of Wales and along the driveway into FWG, including the area between the Hedgerow and the ball diamond. This area is one that may have to be left alone, unfortunately.

Seed pods are changing colour and seeds are ripening up. We will need to monitor cut plants; hopefully we will not have to gather up these mounds of material scattered throughout the areas where we've been working.