Letter to our community - take impactful action on invasive plant species management
Jennifer Clifford
Dear EwA community,
We applaud the tenacity and curiosity of the folks who are dedicated to understanding the management of invasive plant species. It is disheartening to see the swaths of the variety of invasive plant species in our neighborhoods, and it is normal to feel overwhelmed by that.
As a community, we can take concrete action on this serious issue in four ways:
Record: document invasive plants in our yards, our neighbor’s yards (with permission), or in public spaces using the EwA Invasive Flora Patrol (IFP) app. This helps us understand the where, what, and how of invasions. Learn more below.
Remove: remove according to plant species and plant life stage. Proper remediation needs to be done to be effective in the long-term. Helpful links follow.
Re-plant: after removal, remediate the disturbed area with native plant species. This is critical for restoration of a healthy ecosystem. Suggestions are included below.
Report: We encourage the use of the collected data to support our assertions that invasive plants pose a threat to our native ecosystem. Let your city leaders know that you care about this issue and that it is simply too large to tackle on our own. Our cities have a lot of very important issues to deal with, and a healthy environment for all our residents is one of them.
Managing invasive plant species is an integral part in the success of our green programs, including Native Plant Ordinances and the Pollinator Action Plans. This is a difficult task for volunteers. We need help.
If interested in learning more, read on!
Record: Before invasive plant removal, document the extent of the invaded area. This allows us to understand the extent of invasion and the effectiveness of our removal strategies.
In partnership with Green & Open Somerville (G&OS), Earthwise Aware (EwA) is working to build knowledge about the invasive plants in Somerville. As part of this effort, EwA has a project paired with a documentation protocol to record invasive floral species: the EwA Invasive Flora Patrol (IFP). This app can be installed onto a smart device; it is easy to use, and anyone can join. The data is open, and visualizations are directly accessible from the online project page. EwA offers regular training events and is also available to provide training upon request to interested parties. We use this app to record plant species, plant life stage, distribution, the abundance of a plant species in an invaded area – even the emergence and absence of an invasion – all important parameters for understanding the ecology of these plants, which allows for purposeful and effective management.
Remove: A nuanced issue, to be sure, and is another reason we need focused guidance, preferably through a city position (got to #4). Plants often have a tendency to respond by growing more rigorously if the plant is simply cut and left. For mechanical or manual removal, pulling entire plants with the complete root system roots is best. Cutting back may be effective: Japanese knotweed, for example, can be effective IF one is committed to continue to do it until the plant stops growing back. Often, consideration of life stage also needs to be considered. Removing seed pods of black swallow-wort before they go to seed is another way to mitigate spread. More guidance can be found here » EwA’s Guide to Common Invasive Species in Middlesex County (this online repository is continually being updated, so check it often) and here » G&OS Invasive and Native Plant Guide.
Re-plant - with native plant species: Invasive plants grow well in disturbed areas, like after removal or depaving (learn more about G&OS DePAVE the Way program). After remediation of an infested area, plant native seeds, plugs, or plants as soon as possible. Care is a part of this too – help new plants get established and thrive: water, continue to remove invasive plants, and monitor their growth and health. Somerville has a wonderful cohort of ecological restoration experts and advocates that can provide recommendations for planting. One can also reference the City of Somerville Pollinator Action Plan, Native Plant Trust, the Massachusetts Pollinator Network, and other trusted sites for native species recommendations based on characteristics of the remediated site. The G&OS Invasive and Native Plant Guide is another great resource.
Report the data: Data collected by the EwA IFP app supports our claims that invasive plants are a problem. Encourage the city to provide oversight and guidance for managing invasive plant species. Our actions to remediate our own yards help protect our community, nearby municipalities, and adjacent natural spaces, such as the Middlesex Fells.
For our Somerville readers:
We agree that information about the handling of invasive plant species is unclear and inconsistent. G&OS and EwA have been collaborating (for ~2 yrs) on developing an Invasive Plant Management Initiative, a draft document designed to get the conversation started in encouraging the City to centralize the management and education surrounding invasive plant species in our neighborhoods. This initiative includes a job description for City staff who would focus on ecological management on public property in addition to education and outreach efforts to assist residents on private property. This will allow us to focus on remediation using clear and reliable guidelines on how we manage our overrun infested spaces. Such an initiative is critical to support our Pollinator Action Plan, the Native Plant Ordinance and other climate-forward actions.
Many of you are aware of this effort and kindly provided your support, for which we are grateful. If others of you agree that this is important, we urge you to contact city officials to encourage the adoption of this position.
Thank you for reading!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Clifford and Claire O'Neill, Earthwise Aware
Renée Scott, Green & Open Somerville
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