Earlier this month the Daviess-Martin Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) partnered for the second time with ProTEQ Pheasant Camp volunteers, and the Indiana DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife, to hold a Weed Wrangle at Glendale Fish & Wildlife Area.
A total of 14 volunteers and partners spent Saturday April 13th removing invasive honeysuckle, multiflora rose, and autumn olive from 8.5 acres on the property. New this year, in addition to volunteers cutting and stump treating invasive shrubs, they also helped the DNR to follow-up on previous work done with their Fecon forestry mulcher. The forestry mulcher is a highly effective method of brush mowing, and works well to remove invasive shrubs from forest understories. However, if no follow-up is done invasive plants will quickly resprout and retake these areas. To prevent this, volunteers walked through cleared areas and spot sprayed resprouting invasives with herbicide. According to Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) Invasive Specialist Emily Finch, this is a great example of how invasive management can integrate mechanical and chemical control methods. By quickly following up mechanical control with targeted herbicide, it will also allow native plants in the area to grow back without the heavy invasive plant competition.The end goal is to help maintain and improve the wildlife habitat at Glendale.
Special thanks to Diane McFeaters for capturing photos of the event, more of which can be seen on the CISMA facebook page (www.facebook.com/DaviessMartinCISMA).Thanks also goes to the Martin andDaviess County SWCDs, whose Clean Water Indiana grant supports coordination of events like this; the State of Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management, whose Weed Wrangle Reimbursement money from last year was used to purchase some of the supplies; and Knepp’s Amish Kountry Korner for providing lunch.
If have a group interested in volunteering to remove invasive plants, contact SWCD Invasive Specialist Emily Finch (Emily.Finch@in.nacdnet.net, 812-329-0048), or Glendale Property Manager Rob Sullender (812-674-0168).
