| <div class="ck-content"><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Invasives threaten world’s diversity - and all of our futures!</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">I occasionally encounter people who raise all sorts of objections to removing invasives, the worst of which is an accusation that we are being xenophobic or even “racist.” Then there's the thought that we should let all these invasive plants take over because they will absorb more CO2. </p><p style="margin-left:0px;">Check out <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/04/invasive-species-cost-humans-423bn-each-year-and-threaten-worlds-diversity-aoe">this article</a> in The Guardian for a scary reminder of how much damage invasives have done, and will do unless humans act to reverse the effects of our negligence, arrogance and addition to comfort, convenience and entertainment. </p><p style="margin-left:0px;">As for the xenophobic charge, which is basically drawing an analogy to our treatment of immigrants, I would respond:</p><p style="margin-left:0px;">If a non-native species pops up in our ecosystem and is able to co-exist with native species, welcome dear non-native species! But if a non-native species shows up and acts like a murderous gang that wants to kill everyone in our town and take over, I say NO WAY. They must be stopped. Our neighbors must be protected.</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">The Great Stilt Grass Pull</h3><p style="margin-left:0px;">We just held our first big stilt grass event at Brumley South on Saturday, September 9th. It was a great success, even if the sudden, unexpected appearance of a thunderstorm cut it short a bit. Over 30 volunteers attended, including at least a dozen kids. Stilt grass, as you may know, is the <i>perfect plant invasive for the entire family.</i> We even a toddler wandering around (under the careful guise of his mom) and pulling up some grass!</p><p style="margin-left:0px;">This event is the start of a multi-year experiment: is it worth it to pull this grass, when there is so much more of it nearby? How much of a difference does one year of pulling, two years make? So we staked out a pretty big area with blue flags and even with our abbreviated time, cleared most of the grass inside the flags. Check out these busy, dedicated volunteers:</p><div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=1gK05a8hRWOIugmsxEND3NFDdxxAFnbe4" alt="Big group goes after stilt grass" width="600" height="400"></div><p style="margin-left:0px;">We piled stilt grass on tarps and then lugged it all out to the nearby cul de sac for later burning. My oh my, the kids had a great time!</p><div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=1ouQx8OnXVrTp5ZyP3nzBeXCUro31YUPy" alt="Big group goes after stilt grass" width="600" height="400"></div><p>Next step: Steven will return in October or November and spread a whole bunch of riparian seed mix (a variety of native grasses, flowers, etc.). We'll keep an eye on the area in the 2024 growing season, hopefully pull up stilt grass around natives that make their presence known. Then in September 2024, we will return for another big stilt grass pull here (and perhaps other locations as well).</p><p>The plan and hope is that each year, we will see more natives and less stilt grass. Even though everyone went home very wet, they were very pleased with what they were able to accomplish.</p><h3>Invasives Removal in the Fall</h3><p>I go out year round to remove plant invasives. Each season brings its challenges and joys. The greatest joy of working in the Fall is FEWER BUGS. I so much appreciate spiders and ticks and bees and chiggers and mosquitoes and….without them, our ecosystems would fail. But they don't make it easy, no they don't. I also like the cooler temperatures. Working in the woods in 90 degree weather, especially in the sun, is <i>tough</i>. </p><p>Another great joy of autumn is that it is the perfect, best time to apply herbicide to cut stumps, because the plants are getting ready for winter, sucking chlorophyl back down to its roots. So it takes up the poison much more effectively.</p><p>Consequently, we will be focusing bigly on large spreads of autumn olive in Brumley South in the coming months. </p><p>And a third autumn joy: school is back in session! This means that I am working again with multiple service groups at UNC, students who are <i>pumped up</i> about getting outdoors, picking up a saw, and helping heal out planet. I'll hopefully have three monthly workdays going soon. This year, we should complete the removal of all significant invasive threats at Community Center Park and Battle Branch Trail.</p><p>May I suggest a small vow to take for the planet? I urge myself to <i><strong>Every day do something to heal the planet</strong>.</i> Sometimes the thing I do is “big”, sometimes it might only be a small act, such as pulling up some honeysuckle in my yard. But every day, <i>something</i>.</p><p>Take care, <br>Steven Feuerstein</p></div> |