The week of June 30 to July 6 was a really great successful week. On Tuesday and Wednesday we pulled more invasive plants, but in two different locations. The first location was here in the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. We worked with Bridget next to the horse shed pulling many invasive species like Davis Rock and Burberry. We cleared a whole field of these invasive plants. It felt good to take what doesn't belong there out to make the forest a better place.
The second location we worked at was the Bridgewater Elementary School. There we worked alongside Mandy who was from another organization, the Ottauquechee Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (OCISMA), fighting to warn people about how invasive plants can be harmful to many things and people who live here many not even know about it. We worked in the soccer field and the playground where lots of invasives where growing like Japanese Barberry and Burning Bush. Working alongside Mandy, I learned about invasive plants and how harmful they can be. For example Japanese Barberry is not native here in the United States. It looks pretty for landscaping but can be very dangerous. Japanese Barberry can house ticks in them as well as mice. Ticks are spreading fast through New England. The reason ticks spread so fast in Vermont is because of Hurricane Irene. Japanese Barberry is mostly grown next to water, but when the hurricane came it lifted these plants and planted them all over Vermont causing more ticks to spread.
I didn't know that how bad it was up here in Vermont with the growing population of ticks. It is getting worse because people are planting these invasive plants in their yards and around their houses and they don't even know the dangers of it. Yes some of these invasive plants are pretty but they are very harmful. They are harmful to the land, to the economy, the wildlife, and other native plants. These invasive plants can really destroy our land and cause huge damage to us as people and future people to come. Because of organizations like the one Mandy works for, we can make the public aware of what's going on. We can educate them on the dangers we are putting us and our homes. Spending the day with Mandy, I learned so much more about nature and how we are hurting our own land. I also learned about some invasive plants being illegal now to sale, to grow, or to even have. I am grateful for going out and learning what I did and be able to help little kids not get hurt because of these invasive plants. If you knew about the dangers of invasive plants wouldn't you want to do something about it?
July 11, 2013
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Last updated: July 11, 2013