Northwood News ♦ December 2001

‘Invasives’ Removed During Fall Creek Cleanup

By Carole Barth

About a dozen people came out to help with the fall cleanup of Lockridge Creek.  With the weather being so dry, we were able to get at some of the rubbish lodged in the creek bed.  Perhaps the oddest item found was a piece of cast iron that could have been a sink pedestal or perhaps a birdbath.  A number of people also helped by removing exotic invasive vines.

Plants that escape cultivation and damage natural ecosystems are defined as “invasive.”  Kudzu is probably the best-known example of an invasive plant.  In nature, plants and animals evolve together, forming balanced, stable, and diverse communities.  When people transport plants to new areas where they have no natural enemies, predators, or diseases to hold them in check, the import may become invasive.

Invasive plants are a big problem.  Every year, we lose about three million acres to invasive plants.  The damage is estimated to cost $35.5 billion a year.  In fact, invasive species are the second-biggest threat to biodiversity.

During the cleanup we focused on porcelain berry, a vine with pretty blue berries.  This vine grows so rampantly that it swarms right over trees and eventually kills them.  In fact, we uncovered a good-sized tree that was so burdened by vines it was completely hidden.

Anyone who’s interested in learning more about invasive plants and helping to remove them is invited to join the “weed warriors.”  These volunteers receive training and are certified to remove invasives on M-NCPPC parkland.  For more information call Carole Barth or Charles Pritchard [contact details redacted].   ■