Update on Invasive Species Removal at Tryon Creek

Thanks to volunteers from Waggenner-Edstrom for their efforts at Tryon Creek

Volunteer invasive species control efforts in the first half of June were varied.  As always, English ivy received the most attention, with three groups removing sections in the middle of the N Horse Loop.  Adding a group from Northwest Bank to our usual second Saturday turnout brought the number of participants that day to 30.  And on another day a dedicated group of ivy pullers from public relations company Waggener-Edstrom enthusiastically cleared a difficult site.

Some veteran volunteers, abetted by a ranger with a chain saw, began the season's cutting of holly and sweet cherry.  The holly, in particular, was removed only in places where ivy removal had happened first.  

A third part of our collective energy was spent removing garlic mustard, a non-native weed toxic to soil, which inhibits sprouting by other plants.  We'd like to think we've tackled all the patches in the Park, but I found a previously-unknown one on June 17, so we know better.

A company group and an individual each adopted a plot for ivy removal this month, and another individual expects to do so soon.  Our number of adopted plots is growing. 

We're on the verge of starting our summer project of cutting the ivy climbing trees, to save them, on the 70% of the Park where we haven't largely cleared the ivy from the ground.  Since we try to do that every 8 or 10 years (Ivy climbs trees at least ten feet every year), that means we want to cover about 60 acres each year, a major challenge.

(Submitted by Guest Blogger Phil Hamilton)