Mugwort

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Andrea and Kyle made another site visit on Sunday June 5th. This time the target: mugwort.

Yes, Mugwort, the unscrupulous halfling rogue NPC. He has been spreading nasty rumors about your party; that you are murderers and thieves who plunder dungeons.  Oh, it’s true. It’s all true.

I just ordered a soil knife. This should be issued to every ecosteward. It is wicked, comes with a scabbard, and is dangerous. But, it would have come in handy this day, to dig out the mugwort, especially when it gets under a rock. Alas, I hand-pulled, and got out the weeder (effective but it doesn’t come with a scabbard.)

In addition, we worked on some crown vetch, which is not too bad. We attacked it last year, and it is paying off. (Same with burdock.) Interesting: Andy pointed out the native crown vetch and the invasive PSU version growing side by side.

The leaves of the invasive are more narrow, while the good guy has more rounded leaves. (I think I got that right.)

You know, how about a John Rambo line of garden tools to take on invasive plants? I can totally see the flame thrower as effective against knotweed. Maybe, I’ll start with the red bandana and a badass soil knife. How about “Ecowrist, the Mugwort Cleaver?”

Garter Snakes and Garlic Mustard

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April 23rd, 2011.

Another lovely day at the meadow.  Today’s mission: garlic mustard.  Gotta get it before the white flowers set seed. At this point, growing taller from a rosette, it’s so easy to distinguish from Creeping Charlie; we shouldn’t have been so impatient to find it on our last visit. Every excursion starts the same: apprehension about  just how bad the newest overgrowth will be, and elation at being in this spot again.

Today we were lucky.  Very little garbage, except for far too many of those nasty plastic cigarette tips. Add plastic cigarette tips to cigarettes and you have a truly fine contribution to the world.

There wasn’t even a depressing amount of garlic mustard. Take a deep breath and start pulling; it’s easy to pull cleanly, only occasionally is the ground underneath so disturbed that we just know we’ll have to deal with more there next year.

Among the garlic mustard on the hillside, we discovered some  toothwort (also a member of the mustard family). The May apples are just opening their umbrellas to get ready for their apples in May. Some other surprises, too! Four garter snakes, and one was nearly three feet long. Last year we saw a pair of black snakes mating. But near one of the garter snakes is a huge patch of emerging knotweed running under and around a fallen tree, skirting the stream. This is at the westernmost edge of our large stewarddom, and we hadn’t noted it last year. Knotweed is our greatest nemesis, and none of the weapons we carry can eliminate it. Help!

Anarchists Thank Ecostewards for Cleaning up Park

Andrea and Kyle made their second site visit on a lovely Sunday afternoon  March 27th. Sunny with temperatures in the mid 40s.

This time, they came to take on two classic non-native invasive plants: privet and rose of sharon.  Both are common ornamental shrubs that have escaped into the woods. (Amazingly, they are still for sale at local nurseries. Why buy one? Just take some seeds from your neighbor’s yard. On Dave’s Garden, there are lots of posts about how wonderful rose of sharon is. Yuck! Rose of Charon is more like it.)

This particular rose of sharon was especially well-established along the sunny bank. It has deep tap roots, so they decided it was better to clip all the stems down to the ground, rather than erode all the loose, sandy soil.  They will continue to monitor and cut it down. Until it dies. Yes.

The privet was less of a problem, and it was away from the bank. They were able to dig it up, and clip the roots without disturbing too much soil.

Looked under the trio of sycamores, an area that was overrun with multi-flora rose bushes and honey suckle vine a couple of years ago. It is really looking good. There are some more rose bushes to dig up, clipped them down to the ground.

More picking up litter. Lots of cigarette butts. Not too much garlic mustard.

Oh yeah, and a group of anarchists tramped by with their dogs, thanked the ecostewards.

First visit of 2011

Urban Ecostewards Andrea and Kyle made their first visit of 2011 on Sunday March 20th.

Their site is along the Nine Mile Run resortation at Frick Park, just past the soccerfield, heading towards Commercial. Lots of people stop at the bench across the stream.

Plan was to get out there.

Do an assessment of conditions.

Get on top of the garlic mustard.

Remove litter.

Weather was beautiful, about 60 degrees and sunny. Lots of people and dogs out enjoying the day.

Most of the time spent removing litter. High-lights included: a black sports bra and string of pearls.

It’s clear that most of the debris comes from the parkway. Cigarette butts and condiment packets. Doritos are popular.

We did find a little garlic mustard along the banks, just starting to emerge. Come out, come out.

Andrea noted that there is a garlic mustard look-a-like, but it’s a tiny vine. (Kyle looked this up and it’s called “Creeping Charlie.”)

They got most of the garlic mustard by hand-pulling. It’s very satisfying to get the tap root. But, you get smelly fingers.

Random Observations: Water had a bluish film. Saw a red-winged blackbird in the willow.

Next time: Andrea and Kyle want to tackle some privet and rose of sharon.