Spring is no time for autumn...olive

Progress Report for 04-12-11 to 04-16-11

This week the team got to work on a 1/2 acre patch of autumn olive near the Admin building. Using handsaws, loppers and handsparyers, the team cut and sprayed the stumps to the evergreen autumn olive plants. This area had previously been a housing plot, partially explaining the density of the patch.

A majority of the week was spent using backpack sprayers and foliar mixed herbicide to spray roughly 20 acres of a site near the Battlefield #1 Parking lot. The team made sure to create a 300 foot buffer from a known population of hexastylis naniflora to help prevent herbicide drift. All of the major invasive plant species the team deals with were present in the spray area. These included: chinese privet, autumn olive, multiflora rose and tree of heaven.

Two of the final days of the week were spent prepping a main bridge on the nature trail for a new round of non-stick mixed paint. Team members set up a tarp underneath the bridge to catch chipped paint that was coming off the bridge as they chipped the old layer off. They then repainted the bridge with a new coat of non-stick paint. This will benefit hikers, walker and runners on the trail as they cross the bridge, ensuring they have good traction on the bridge.

On Saturday, April 16th, Tyler worked with two volunteers during a volunteer day to kick off National Park Week. They helped cut chinese privet in an area next to the Battlefield #1 Parking Lot and create a path through dense stands. There work will help the Native Plant Team travel through the area much easier to cut and spray the remaining plants.

The team is looking forward to the following week when the weather is supposed to be a bit calmer. We hope everyone is having fun in the field!

COWP