Thank you John Schuler for sharing your landowner experiences. Forest stewardship can be slow, but it is satisfying to read real results that come from intentional planning and action. Well done John!
Data Scientist, Circular Economist, Forest Owner that enjoys Environmental Stewardship Addressing the Big Problems Facing Communities, Organizations and Business through small actions and efforts
What are invasive plant species??Many times, these are plants purchased from local nurseries as ornamentals like Meadowsweet or Spiraea. Meadowsweet is not native to the habitat our family is stewarding.?An invasive plant tends to crowd out native species and reduces the habitat that impacts other living things like bees, insects and wildlife that utilize native plants for food and shelter as well as invasives disrupts the ecosystem. ?The past few years, a major project in the family forest and surrounding areas has been to eliminate Meadowsweet and the results have been impactful.? Addressing the water courses and riparian areas, the Meadowsweet has been removed and resulted in a wealth of native flowers such as Red Cardinal Flowers and Blue Cardinal Flowers. This has increased the number of observed pollinators, bees, butterflies and insects. Of interest, the Blue Cardinal Flowers were ‘underneath’ the shading of the Meadowsweet and did not have a chance to bloom without sun. ?Blue Cardinal flowers are a late September bloomer to help feed pollinators as winter approaches and removing invasive species is one way to improve habitat and sustain biodiversity to increase the verdant abundance. #biodiversity #environment #pollinators #invasivespecies