[APWG] Why remove invasives

[Holly Sletteland]

I would agree, although I think if an area is really fully restored -
invasives removed and natives flourishing - it really takes very little time
to maintain after awhile. It gets back to the same question the manager of
the Nature Conservancy preserve brought up earlier. And I guess that's why
I'm saddened to hear John's frustration. Having long been involved in
environmental advocacy and feeling increasingly hopeless that sufficient
battles were being won on the political and legislative front, I turned to
invasive removal and restoration because it enabled me to feel I really
COULD make a difference. I have seen some incredible restoration projects
that have succeeded over the long haul and the greatest testament to that is
the wildlife and more elusive plants that can again thrive in them. Yes, it
takes time and determination along the way to get there, but to me the
rewards of the work itself are many - working outdoors in often beautiful
surroundings, building up physical fitness and stamina, good company to work
with or time to reflect if your are on your own, joy of discovering and
learning about flora & fauna (including invasives), and visible signs of
incremental progress (i.e. cleared weeds, planted areas). And once an area
is freed of the seed bank of invasives and there is good competition form
other plants, you really can rest on your laurels to a large extent and just
enjoy watching the directions Nature takes on her own. Then it becomes like
a puzzle or a treasure hunt to find those straggling invasives you missed or
a new threat you never encountered before. In short, I find removing
invasives and restoring the land far from hopeless - but in fact the only
thing that gives me hope anymore. That, and maybe Obama.

Stephanie Mills wrote in her book, "In Service of the Wild":

"Restoration is about accepting the brokenness of things, and investigating
the emergent property of healing. It's the closing of the frontier-ceasing
our demand for open land to "develop"-and the reinhabiting of exploited or
abandoned places. Facing these necessities and doing the work liberates
human energy; yields a bounty of knowledge and satisfaction, and a
resurgence of wild Nature. Restoration is a wide opportunity for enjoyment
in the land, a sense of serving the sacredness of Nature, and touching it
with your hands." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Holly Sletteland
Preserve Manager
Morro Coast Audubon Society
P.O. Box 1507
Morro Bay, CA 93443
Phone: (805) 239-3928
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


-----Original Message-----
From: apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org
[mailto:apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of Philip Thomas
(www.HEAR.org)
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 1:59 PM
To: jmbarr
Cc: apwg at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: Re: [APWG] Why remove invasives

My take is that site-based management of weeds generally *is* futile unless
there is a long-term (i.e., PERMANENT) plan that is actually implemented for
perpetual care of the area.  If the area you're protecting is small enough
and you have an onoing dedicated labor force, maybe you could paint a rosy
picture.  Start small; make sure folks can see success (e.g., from previous
groups' work, and at the end of their own day).

Aloha,
pt at hear.org


jmbarr wrote:
> No inspiring message here, sorry.
> I am a volunteer who has spent hundreds of hours removing invasives.  
> I am increasingly frustrated at the shear waste of volunteers time and 
> energy in what I fear are exercises in futility.
> 
> I would love detailed information on best practices for invasives 
> control for land managers.  For example, does hand pulling by 
> volunteers make sense or would professionals with herbicides make more 
> sense?  When beginning an effort in a natural area, do you start in 
> the center of the property and work out, begin at a random point and 
> work out from there, do you try to identify the furthest entry point 
> and work back to the point of origin, does it make any difference?
> 
> Thanks for letting me vent,
> john
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
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> opinion of the individual posting the message.
> 
> 

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Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) - http://www.hear.org P.O. Box
1272 Puunene (Maui), Hawaii  96784  USA

Philip A. Thomas - pt at hear.org

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