Land Restoration/ Invasive Removal

Hey!

It's November 2nd, and it's deep into autumn, most of the leaves in Ohio have fallen, we have had our first and second frost, things are going dormant (sleeping for winter).  In fact, it was snowing during trick-or-treat night!! Does that mean we will have a snowy, long winter?? We'll have to wait to find out. 

Recently, I have been taking more time to work at the Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC), which is in my hometown, and we have been focusing on seed collection/sorting, and honeysuckle removal. 

Seed Collection:

The wildflowers, grasses, and sedges all have different periods of maturing: end of spring, end of summer, and end of fall. Through this time, there is a window of collection when the seed has flowered, and then begins to drop. The collection of fall seeds has included: New England Aster, Heart Leaved Aster, White Snakeroot, Stiff Goldenrod, little blue stem (grass), big blue stem (grass), and Indian grass. These seeds are placed into brown paper bags and dried out naturally, and then can be separated from their flower if those were picked off, leaving just the seed. After, different seed treatments can be performed to increase the likelihood of spring germination. However, I will talk about those another time. 

                                                               NEW ENGLAND ASTER


source: https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/plant-asters-unique-display-fall-color


Honey Suckle Removal: 

I have also been busy with removing Amur honeysuckle on the property with licensed pesticide/herbicide handlers. Amur and Japanese Honey suckle are an invasive species which plagues most of Eastern United States. My next post will provide information on Native vs. Invasive Species. For the time being, let it be known that invasive species grow and diminish native species. The ~150 acre property I work in specializes in native wildlife diversity and ecological restoration, so invasive species are NOT welcome. We have been using a 1.5% dilution of glyphosate (often associated with Round-Up), when applied to the green leaves of a plant, will typically kill the plant. 

For more information on the use, chemistry, risks, etc on glyphosate:  http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/glyphogen.html                http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/archive/glyphotech.html

A trick for trying to control and manage honeysuckle in your own backyard is to spray during the end of fall, around October and November when most of the other species' leaves have fallen. Because the chemical is only effective when applied to the green parts of the plant/leaves, all of the native species have already dropped leaves by November, so typically the only green plants left are invasives, and usually honey suckle. 

Here is a reference picture to know what to look for: 


More information on Amur Honeysuckle can be found through Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources: 

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/broad-leaf-trees/amur-honeysuckle-lonicera-maackii#:~:text=A%20native%20of%20northeastern%20Asia,areas%20via%20bird%2Ddispersed%20fruits.

Lastly, here is a photo of the mostly dormant trees in the forest with honeysuckle popping up in the background being the only green plants visible: 


Fall is a great time to notice that all of the beautiful work that nature has done all spring and summer. As she takes her rest and drops her leaves, we're left with the unwanted invasives, and we remove what is not desired. It is not a time of sadness, it's a time to take account of what is good and what is unwanted in our lives, and to weed out some of the negatives.  Take some time to appreciate all of the hard work you have done so far this year, as well as take note of the "invasive species" (people, habits, etc) in your life. And remember to give yourself time to rest, recover, and grow, just like mother nature. 

Key Words: Germination, Native Species, Invasive Species, Wildflower, Sedge, Grass, Herbicide, Honeysuckle, Ecological Restoration

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