Invasive Species Management / Native Species Restoration
Richfield Heritage Preserve
2023 Report
By Lynn Richardson, Friends of Richfield Heritage Preserve, ISM work crew
Richfield Heritage Preserve
2023 Report
By Lynn Richardson, Friends of Richfield Heritage Preserve, ISM work crew
This unusual, five-lobed sassafras leaf was found this year with others of its kind along the shore of Lake Linnea in RHP. Sassafras trees are known for having three differently-shaped leaves on a single tree: simple ovals, mitten-shaped, and double-lobed. Leaves with five lobes are rare. Yet a small stand of trees on the edge of the forest by the upper lake was found to have several. Maybe a new strain developing?
Richfield Heritage Preserve holds many hidden treasures- large and small - still to be discovered.
Executive summary - ISM 2023
Control of invasive plants was been drastically curtailed in 2023. Although high quality areas in the south part of the park remain mostly healthy, invasives are gaining ground in transitional areas and re-infecting areas that were previously cleared.
The crew did what they were able to do: we monitored habitat restoration areas, protected selected trees from beaver damage, removed a few herbaceous species, and provided some public education.
Education
Monitoring Two Habitat Restoration Areas and Observations throughout RHP
Tree protection Beavers gnaw down trees. But both can live in harmony when the beavers are deterred from taking down selected trees. We do this by mixing sand into color-matched latex paint, and then applying a thin coat to the tree bark. Beavers do not like the grainy texture and move on to unprotected trees.
Manual removal of invasive plants so that native plants are able to compete
Control of invasive plants was been drastically curtailed in 2023. Although high quality areas in the south part of the park remain mostly healthy, invasives are gaining ground in transitional areas and re-infecting areas that were previously cleared.
The crew did what they were able to do: we monitored habitat restoration areas, protected selected trees from beaver damage, removed a few herbaceous species, and provided some public education.
Education
- A six hour intensive workshop, “Defend the Forest: Protecting Ohio Wildflowers and Fighting invader Plants”; was organized by Friends’ board members Beth Sanderson and Terry Duncan, in cooperation with expert consultants.Three nature walks combined with garlic mustard pulls
- A DIY Springtime Wildflower hike
- Plant tagging
Monitoring Two Habitat Restoration Areas and Observations throughout RHP
Tree protection Beavers gnaw down trees. But both can live in harmony when the beavers are deterred from taking down selected trees. We do this by mixing sand into color-matched latex paint, and then applying a thin coat to the tree bark. Beavers do not like the grainy texture and move on to unprotected trees.
Manual removal of invasive plants so that native plants are able to compete
- Garlic mustard – pulled 216.5 lbs
- Dame’s rocket - pulled, incidental
- Barberry – pulled several dozen 1- 3 year old plants.
- Buckthorn – cut without stump treatment in areas surrounding sassafras
- Japanese knotweed – cut or pulled 3 large trash bags full
- Purple loosestrife – dug out where possible, otherwise cut. 5 large trash bags full
- Multiflora rose - incidental
- Star thistle - pulled – uncounted
The swamp rose mallows on the shore of Lake Jinelle are native plants
The RHP invasive species management plan
The plan was formulated in 2019 under the direction of Beth Sanderson (Friends) and Bob Becker (RJRD). It was coordinated by Jennifer Windus of the Ohio Invasive Plant Council (OIPC)I n consultation with botanists, etymologists, and horticulturalists from University of Akron, Cleveland State, Baldwin Wallace, and Crane Hollow. Jeff DeLuca and Meg Slifcak of RJRD were also active participants in the process.
Background. The Friends starting working on invasive removals in 2010, but the efforts were individual and uncoordinated. When RJRD took over ownership, individual committee chairs took on much of the day-to-day planning and field work. RJRD member Bob Becker, as chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, worked with Beth Sanderson who was reaching out to land management experts and woodland consultants online.
When people heard the story of how the citizens of Richfield voted to preserve a former camp which was (at that time) operating with almost all volunteer labor, it was not unusual for them to become intrigued and want to help. So it was with Jennifer Windus. She was interested enough to drive up from Columbus to go on a hiking tour of RHP with Beth. She recognized the unique treasure that RHP is. With the blessings of RJRD, Jennifer brought her ONAPA interns up for several sessions of mapping and assessment along with a crew from Friends. The data they collected was analyzed. Several meetings were held to discuss best possible practices. These were formed onto the Invasive Species Management Plan (ISMP). RJRD voted to approve the plan on October 28th, 2019.
Plan. The underlying principle in invasive species management is to protect the high quality areas first. To be sure, anyone pulling out a garlic mustard plant is doing some good. But to effectively make an overall impact – especially with very limited resources, priorities must be set.
RHP was divided into 15 zones. Each zone was assessed for type (meadow, forest, pine plantation, shore, ravine), human usage, overall biodiversity, and rough percentage of invasive species. Unsurprisingly, the southern 2/3rd of RHP, which had been essentially undisturbed since the 1920s; was much healthier that the northern 1/3rd which had been part of a commercial apple orchard from 1920 - 1956. Therefore, the areas of RHP’s southern forests with the highest quality plants are our highest priority for protection.
Equipment and supplies were purchased, and work space laid out. Crew members were trained to identify invasives and to use minimal herbicide in treating them. A core group were certified as Trained Service Providers working under Jeff DeLuca’s license. Shrubs such as the dreaded barberry or multiflora rose and trees such as the evil buckthorn, are cut and their stumps painted individually with an herbicide; usually Pathfinder. Desirable native plants are not touched and chemicals do not enter the watershed. The crew monitors treatment areas year after year.
In late 2022, the crew lost access to their workspace due to rearrangement of facilities. Various solutions were tried, but by the time of this writing, none have met all the ODA requirement for safe usage of herbicides.
The plan was formulated in 2019 under the direction of Beth Sanderson (Friends) and Bob Becker (RJRD). It was coordinated by Jennifer Windus of the Ohio Invasive Plant Council (OIPC)I n consultation with botanists, etymologists, and horticulturalists from University of Akron, Cleveland State, Baldwin Wallace, and Crane Hollow. Jeff DeLuca and Meg Slifcak of RJRD were also active participants in the process.
Background. The Friends starting working on invasive removals in 2010, but the efforts were individual and uncoordinated. When RJRD took over ownership, individual committee chairs took on much of the day-to-day planning and field work. RJRD member Bob Becker, as chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, worked with Beth Sanderson who was reaching out to land management experts and woodland consultants online.
When people heard the story of how the citizens of Richfield voted to preserve a former camp which was (at that time) operating with almost all volunteer labor, it was not unusual for them to become intrigued and want to help. So it was with Jennifer Windus. She was interested enough to drive up from Columbus to go on a hiking tour of RHP with Beth. She recognized the unique treasure that RHP is. With the blessings of RJRD, Jennifer brought her ONAPA interns up for several sessions of mapping and assessment along with a crew from Friends. The data they collected was analyzed. Several meetings were held to discuss best possible practices. These were formed onto the Invasive Species Management Plan (ISMP). RJRD voted to approve the plan on October 28th, 2019.
Plan. The underlying principle in invasive species management is to protect the high quality areas first. To be sure, anyone pulling out a garlic mustard plant is doing some good. But to effectively make an overall impact – especially with very limited resources, priorities must be set.
RHP was divided into 15 zones. Each zone was assessed for type (meadow, forest, pine plantation, shore, ravine), human usage, overall biodiversity, and rough percentage of invasive species. Unsurprisingly, the southern 2/3rd of RHP, which had been essentially undisturbed since the 1920s; was much healthier that the northern 1/3rd which had been part of a commercial apple orchard from 1920 - 1956. Therefore, the areas of RHP’s southern forests with the highest quality plants are our highest priority for protection.
Equipment and supplies were purchased, and work space laid out. Crew members were trained to identify invasives and to use minimal herbicide in treating them. A core group were certified as Trained Service Providers working under Jeff DeLuca’s license. Shrubs such as the dreaded barberry or multiflora rose and trees such as the evil buckthorn, are cut and their stumps painted individually with an herbicide; usually Pathfinder. Desirable native plants are not touched and chemicals do not enter the watershed. The crew monitors treatment areas year after year.
In late 2022, the crew lost access to their workspace due to rearrangement of facilities. Various solutions were tried, but by the time of this writing, none have met all the ODA requirement for safe usage of herbicides.
Work Log
Jan 31. Planning for “Off-Track Treks” public garlic mustard pulls / spring nature walks. TVH c.3
Feb15 The trash & latrine crew stopped to nab some quasi-dormant GMs under the leaf cover.
Feb 16 Jeff DeLuca resigned. We did herbicide application under his license and he says we may continue to do so; but the status of the program is uncertain.
Feb 17 Jennifer Windus (Ohio Invasive Plant Council) came up from Columbus to meet with Beth Sanderson & John Peipsny. Overview of ISMP, involvement by OIPC & ONAPA since 2017, concerns with present set up: water source, disposal of rinse water, ODA licensed applicator. TVH 4 – includes Jennifer’s drive time.
March 21 ONAPA project cancelled – Buckthorn removal along north edge of Lake Jinelle.
March 26 Recon. Wildflower blooms: Salt & Pepper at edge of Summer Barn parking lot. Coltsfoot starting throughout. Blue scilla (non-native, non-invasive bulb) Hilltop Rd. Ramp spikes up. GMs up. TVH 3
March 30. Significant patches of GMs off the SW corner. Surveillance back toward the cliff & up again toward the road. only found a couple more there. Popped out one 18” barberry. Headed toward the stable road Hill. LOTS GMs. Still only rosettes. But it’s only March. I think we are in for a bumper year. TVH 4 / 2lbs
Jan 31. Planning for “Off-Track Treks” public garlic mustard pulls / spring nature walks. TVH c.3
Feb15 The trash & latrine crew stopped to nab some quasi-dormant GMs under the leaf cover.
Feb 16 Jeff DeLuca resigned. We did herbicide application under his license and he says we may continue to do so; but the status of the program is uncertain.
Feb 17 Jennifer Windus (Ohio Invasive Plant Council) came up from Columbus to meet with Beth Sanderson & John Peipsny. Overview of ISMP, involvement by OIPC & ONAPA since 2017, concerns with present set up: water source, disposal of rinse water, ODA licensed applicator. TVH 4 – includes Jennifer’s drive time.
March 21 ONAPA project cancelled – Buckthorn removal along north edge of Lake Jinelle.
March 26 Recon. Wildflower blooms: Salt & Pepper at edge of Summer Barn parking lot. Coltsfoot starting throughout. Blue scilla (non-native, non-invasive bulb) Hilltop Rd. Ramp spikes up. GMs up. TVH 3
March 30. Significant patches of GMs off the SW corner. Surveillance back toward the cliff & up again toward the road. only found a couple more there. Popped out one 18” barberry. Headed toward the stable road Hill. LOTS GMs. Still only rosettes. But it’s only March. I think we are in for a bumper year. TVH 4 / 2lbs
April 12 TLC crew pulling GM rosettes on their rounds TVH c.3 Not weighed
April 21 Recon after 8AM Grants & Fundraising mtg. North: White Trillium blooming early in Amity/North creek ravine. Barberry below Spif’s Garden. Turkey egg shells. Not many GMs in the well-traveled areas. South: The lake surface may be only an inch or two higher than it was before the dam repair, but it’s enough to be noticeable. Turtles have returned to their log between Lake Jinelle island & the shore! Three more on a short log just above the old swimming beach. One clump Virginia Bluebells on the vertical bank directly below stand of beaver-gnawed saplings. I don’t usually see them here.
Native restoration area by the parking lot: Some of last fall’s flowers have survived the winter- too soon to identify. It looks like some of the grey dogwood is returning.
Native restoration area at head of lake: some residual rose & bush honey suckle wands sprouting up. I cut them but can’t treat the stumps. There is an extensive patch of Turkey Toes (cutleaf toothwort), lots of branchy horsetails and Hairy Bittercress. I white flower I didn’t recognize later identified as Pepperwort. The laying-down locust tree with the former branch/ new trunk is still alive. A few rue anemone, 2 wild geraniums in bloom. Also a few dandelions, skunk cabbage, violets & ramps.
Beaver have cut a lot of trees. There is a beech tree about 8” diameter on a knoll above the creek right by the road. Beaver have already cut the tree on the other side opposite the stream. With all this activity, we will lose those trees unless we sand-paint them.
Behind Garfield-This raw space has been covered by the old kitchen for 75 years- so It’s not like there’s stuff already in the soil waiting to sprout up. It would be nice to re-claim, but we may have enough to do with the other two areas. Let’s see what happens.
Nearby- scatterings of trout lilly blooming. Around the cabin, trilliums. Rue anemone. Bloodroot- just leaves so far. Ruth’s friends there on a hike. They had gone up to Far Away Pines & saw only 1 GM, which they pulled.
At the flag terrace- some Golden Alexander- just starting to open.
On the road up to Fernwood. Rue Anemone, Violets, Solomon seal (or false) just the leaves yet. More bloodroot leaves. Golden Alexander open.
Challenge course- only 3 GM< but patches of rose bushes starting. Giant drifts of ramps. Trilliums scattered throughout. Maybe the ramp smell keeps the deer from eating them? Lots of yellow violets.
The challenge course road back to the main road is now blocked by a tree that just fell over – can’t have been more than a week. It is full of leaves just starting to unfurl and lots of dangling showers of flowers. Looks quite exotic & lovely. Sad that it fell. The leaves are maple- the bud covers are still attached. They are narrow. I bet this is a sugar maple. Confirmed by later internet search. Silver & red maple have the rounded, red flowers & not on these dangles.
Action item The shore across from Kirby had been brush hogged last year. It does look neater. But now there are two stems I think are walnut, and some still need identified. I think we should talk to John about tagging them. TVH 4 / 2.5 lbs GM
April 21 Recon after 8AM Grants & Fundraising mtg. North: White Trillium blooming early in Amity/North creek ravine. Barberry below Spif’s Garden. Turkey egg shells. Not many GMs in the well-traveled areas. South: The lake surface may be only an inch or two higher than it was before the dam repair, but it’s enough to be noticeable. Turtles have returned to their log between Lake Jinelle island & the shore! Three more on a short log just above the old swimming beach. One clump Virginia Bluebells on the vertical bank directly below stand of beaver-gnawed saplings. I don’t usually see them here.
Native restoration area by the parking lot: Some of last fall’s flowers have survived the winter- too soon to identify. It looks like some of the grey dogwood is returning.
Native restoration area at head of lake: some residual rose & bush honey suckle wands sprouting up. I cut them but can’t treat the stumps. There is an extensive patch of Turkey Toes (cutleaf toothwort), lots of branchy horsetails and Hairy Bittercress. I white flower I didn’t recognize later identified as Pepperwort. The laying-down locust tree with the former branch/ new trunk is still alive. A few rue anemone, 2 wild geraniums in bloom. Also a few dandelions, skunk cabbage, violets & ramps.
Beaver have cut a lot of trees. There is a beech tree about 8” diameter on a knoll above the creek right by the road. Beaver have already cut the tree on the other side opposite the stream. With all this activity, we will lose those trees unless we sand-paint them.
Behind Garfield-This raw space has been covered by the old kitchen for 75 years- so It’s not like there’s stuff already in the soil waiting to sprout up. It would be nice to re-claim, but we may have enough to do with the other two areas. Let’s see what happens.
Nearby- scatterings of trout lilly blooming. Around the cabin, trilliums. Rue anemone. Bloodroot- just leaves so far. Ruth’s friends there on a hike. They had gone up to Far Away Pines & saw only 1 GM, which they pulled.
At the flag terrace- some Golden Alexander- just starting to open.
On the road up to Fernwood. Rue Anemone, Violets, Solomon seal (or false) just the leaves yet. More bloodroot leaves. Golden Alexander open.
Challenge course- only 3 GM< but patches of rose bushes starting. Giant drifts of ramps. Trilliums scattered throughout. Maybe the ramp smell keeps the deer from eating them? Lots of yellow violets.
The challenge course road back to the main road is now blocked by a tree that just fell over – can’t have been more than a week. It is full of leaves just starting to unfurl and lots of dangling showers of flowers. Looks quite exotic & lovely. Sad that it fell. The leaves are maple- the bud covers are still attached. They are narrow. I bet this is a sugar maple. Confirmed by later internet search. Silver & red maple have the rounded, red flowers & not on these dangles.
Action item The shore across from Kirby had been brush hogged last year. It does look neater. But now there are two stems I think are walnut, and some still need identified. I think we should talk to John about tagging them. TVH 4 / 2.5 lbs GM
April 26 gathered 17 pounds of GM while making TLC rounds. Some was at the Crescent Trail bridge. others up by the Summer Barn Bridle Trail. 1.5 hours each x 3 = TVH 4.5 / 17 lbs
May 2. Program “Protecting Ohio Wildflowers and Fighting Invader Plants” Organized and sponsored by Friends of RHP. 10Am – 4:30 pm
May 5. T-Bone Hill on Hilltop Plateau directly across from Summer Barn Rd. Got entire hill, except a small section on the far side which we will save for another attempt. Maybe 25 or so small barberry- most pulled out, a couple needed shoveled. One large one we couldn’t get. Worked until out of energy. Most trees have small, light green leaves. Apples (or other fruit) blossoming. Jacks in the pulpit on the plateau. Trilliams at Kirby House Knoll. 3hrs each x2= 6 TVH / 53 lbs
May 8th Recon. tree species along Lake Jinelle shore- all vulnerable to beaver depredation. Sassafras. Beech. Maple. Elderberry? Buckeye ( x2). Tulip. Walnut. One I didn’t recognize: white, droopy bell blossoms & a 3-part compound leaf. I took a twig sample home to ID. It’s “Bladdernut”! That DEFINETLT needs an ID tag. Incidental GM pull. TVH c. 1 / 0.5
May 10. Morning – TLC crew 7 lbs GM as they were going around through roadways. Afternoon Painting trees on Lake Jinelle west shore to protect them from beavers. Tagging trees to protect them from weed whackers. John came by & we chatted with him. 3 hrs x2 = 6TVH / 7bs
May 11. 6:30 – 8:00 Two day’s notice put out to all members to take advantage of good weather. Only 3 takers for harvest of heavy GM . Back of T-bone Hill & crossed interim creek; got as far as the south side of Turkey Nest Hill. Scattered patches. Lost the light sooner than anticipated, but the canopy is pretty dense. TVH 4.5 / 33 lbs GM
Wed, May 17 The first of the “off-track treks”. Two people showed up. We went to the “Creekside Orchard” up to the Crescent Trail bridge & looped back along the flood plane to Scarlett Spring & back out through Far Away Pines. There’s still more to get, but enough that its going to need another trip AFTER we get the high quality areas. TLC got 4 lbs GM. Off Track Trek 2 hrs x 4 = 8hrs TVH / 21 lbs GM
Saturday, May 20- off track trek 10 am -12 noon “Adeline Axtell Lands”. It was just me & Nancy, maybe because it was a rainey, cold morning. Up & back along drive we got a few. But past the sawmill the verge had been mown & there was nothing so we turned back & went just inside the perimeter of the parking lot. A LOT in top of the berm and on the lot side of the slope. We got most of those, but not the many on the woods side: too steep, wet, and too many other things to do at Kirby House that day. 2 x 2 = 4 TVH / 13 lbs GM
May 21 off track trek- “The Beyond” 1-3:30 Just Nancy, Heidi & I . GM seedpods are well developed. TVH 7.5 / 35.5 lbs GM
May 21 Kirby House. This was largely clean up in prep for donor hikes. We aren’t allowed to use herbicide, so we cut roses canes, but they’ll be back. However, I pulled many small Japanese knotweed from Kirby House base. Rob got the large ones on the far side of the ditch. 4 TVH / Approx. 10 lbs Japanese knotweed
May 22 went back for garlic mustard found under secret waterfall bridge walked upstream and got a few more. Neglible weight. At the end of the RJRD meeting, Polly says there is a lot by Gemini Cabin. 0.5 TVH
May 25 - scoping out the habitat restoration area while waiting for Treasure tour. Found 3 GMs there- weight negligible, time -incidental.
Upstream of the Garfield Intake dam, the water level above the beaver dam is definitely higher. Previously , the dam was just a line of piled up sticks. It has become a much more substantial structure.
Habitat restoration area: grass, jewelweed. A pair of great Blue Herons. Red twig dogwood? X 6 . Yellow iris. There are a few more verbena bushes than I had realized before. One is almost as tall as a small tree, topped with flat white umbrel of flowers. Maybe nannyberry? Skunk cabbage getting bigger.
May 30. Hot in the sun, cool in the shade! Clear blue skies. looked for garlic mustard at Gemini per Polly’s observation. Grass had been mowed recently- found none.. Looked around long grass edges & found something that resembles it, but branchier and with yellow flowers. Took a sample home to identify. According to Cornel’s IF key- it’s definitely in the mustard family- but doesn’t match anything. Maybe it’s hybrid? All are listed in Peterson’s as “alien”. In the lawn of Gemini Cabin are forget me nots, bluets, buttercups and daisy fleabane
Cut through Paddler & turned right on the Buckeye Trail because there have been GMs at the creek in past years. At Sassafras Point I could find no sassafras at all on the left (lake) side of the path- only very dense buckthorn saplings maturing into trees. Some hickory & flowing dogwood on the edges of the worst thicket. Underneath the old, beaver-gnawed stump & fallen trunk of the mother sassafras. But on the other side of the path, I found 3 sassafras saplings- two protected, one not.
There is a lot of the rosiola disease showing on the high branches of multi-flora rose canes above the buckthorn farther south along the path. There are also small patches of a thick, bright orange something on some of the buckthrorn leaves. Hopefully something that will kill them off. ( looked up online- seems to be something called “Crown leaf rust” This disease is caused by Puccinia coronata avenae. It affects oats, but buckthorn is an alternate host. A few stalks on either side of the creek along the patch. I didn’t not go deeper in because wearing shorts & was alone.
Continued to great meadow & looped around back to Gemini Road. Multiflora rose blooming, so are the thimble berries- 3-leaved & 5leaved. 1TVH / maybe 1 lb GM
June 5. Worked at Turkey Nest Hill 1:30- 4:30 We got 18 lbs- almost all from that area. Most of the flowers have faded although there were a few left here & there.
Something we have not seen before is that some of the GMs have shriveled & yellowed before their seed pods have matured. Others have spider-like webs at the tops. Others are covered with grey aphid-like creatures. Hopefully this is not something new & devastating
In the good news department, there are a several colonies of maple-leaf viburnum around Turkey Nest Hill and several sassafras seedlings close to the road on the way to High Lea. The path of the intermittent stream has moved north, probably in response to the new trail that was cut to avoid the bridge wash out. Some erosion forming in a new braided stream pattern. But the erosion somewhat mitigated by the heavy vegetation in the area (lots of Virginia knotweed)
The multiflora rose is in full bloom in sunny areas. The patches of it are getting thicker and spreading in this formerly high-quality area. 3 x 2hrs / 18 lbs GM & maybe 10 barberry- small
June 6, The grey aphids on the GM are a thing that’s being tracked. https://indiananativeplants.org/wp-content/uploads/Garlic-mustard-aphids-flyer_Page_1.jpg Reported to Rebecca Troutman at Holden Forest & Garden.
May 2. Program “Protecting Ohio Wildflowers and Fighting Invader Plants” Organized and sponsored by Friends of RHP. 10Am – 4:30 pm
May 5. T-Bone Hill on Hilltop Plateau directly across from Summer Barn Rd. Got entire hill, except a small section on the far side which we will save for another attempt. Maybe 25 or so small barberry- most pulled out, a couple needed shoveled. One large one we couldn’t get. Worked until out of energy. Most trees have small, light green leaves. Apples (or other fruit) blossoming. Jacks in the pulpit on the plateau. Trilliams at Kirby House Knoll. 3hrs each x2= 6 TVH / 53 lbs
May 8th Recon. tree species along Lake Jinelle shore- all vulnerable to beaver depredation. Sassafras. Beech. Maple. Elderberry? Buckeye ( x2). Tulip. Walnut. One I didn’t recognize: white, droopy bell blossoms & a 3-part compound leaf. I took a twig sample home to ID. It’s “Bladdernut”! That DEFINETLT needs an ID tag. Incidental GM pull. TVH c. 1 / 0.5
May 10. Morning – TLC crew 7 lbs GM as they were going around through roadways. Afternoon Painting trees on Lake Jinelle west shore to protect them from beavers. Tagging trees to protect them from weed whackers. John came by & we chatted with him. 3 hrs x2 = 6TVH / 7bs
May 11. 6:30 – 8:00 Two day’s notice put out to all members to take advantage of good weather. Only 3 takers for harvest of heavy GM . Back of T-bone Hill & crossed interim creek; got as far as the south side of Turkey Nest Hill. Scattered patches. Lost the light sooner than anticipated, but the canopy is pretty dense. TVH 4.5 / 33 lbs GM
Wed, May 17 The first of the “off-track treks”. Two people showed up. We went to the “Creekside Orchard” up to the Crescent Trail bridge & looped back along the flood plane to Scarlett Spring & back out through Far Away Pines. There’s still more to get, but enough that its going to need another trip AFTER we get the high quality areas. TLC got 4 lbs GM. Off Track Trek 2 hrs x 4 = 8hrs TVH / 21 lbs GM
Saturday, May 20- off track trek 10 am -12 noon “Adeline Axtell Lands”. It was just me & Nancy, maybe because it was a rainey, cold morning. Up & back along drive we got a few. But past the sawmill the verge had been mown & there was nothing so we turned back & went just inside the perimeter of the parking lot. A LOT in top of the berm and on the lot side of the slope. We got most of those, but not the many on the woods side: too steep, wet, and too many other things to do at Kirby House that day. 2 x 2 = 4 TVH / 13 lbs GM
May 21 off track trek- “The Beyond” 1-3:30 Just Nancy, Heidi & I . GM seedpods are well developed. TVH 7.5 / 35.5 lbs GM
May 21 Kirby House. This was largely clean up in prep for donor hikes. We aren’t allowed to use herbicide, so we cut roses canes, but they’ll be back. However, I pulled many small Japanese knotweed from Kirby House base. Rob got the large ones on the far side of the ditch. 4 TVH / Approx. 10 lbs Japanese knotweed
May 22 went back for garlic mustard found under secret waterfall bridge walked upstream and got a few more. Neglible weight. At the end of the RJRD meeting, Polly says there is a lot by Gemini Cabin. 0.5 TVH
May 25 - scoping out the habitat restoration area while waiting for Treasure tour. Found 3 GMs there- weight negligible, time -incidental.
Upstream of the Garfield Intake dam, the water level above the beaver dam is definitely higher. Previously , the dam was just a line of piled up sticks. It has become a much more substantial structure.
Habitat restoration area: grass, jewelweed. A pair of great Blue Herons. Red twig dogwood? X 6 . Yellow iris. There are a few more verbena bushes than I had realized before. One is almost as tall as a small tree, topped with flat white umbrel of flowers. Maybe nannyberry? Skunk cabbage getting bigger.
May 30. Hot in the sun, cool in the shade! Clear blue skies. looked for garlic mustard at Gemini per Polly’s observation. Grass had been mowed recently- found none.. Looked around long grass edges & found something that resembles it, but branchier and with yellow flowers. Took a sample home to identify. According to Cornel’s IF key- it’s definitely in the mustard family- but doesn’t match anything. Maybe it’s hybrid? All are listed in Peterson’s as “alien”. In the lawn of Gemini Cabin are forget me nots, bluets, buttercups and daisy fleabane
Cut through Paddler & turned right on the Buckeye Trail because there have been GMs at the creek in past years. At Sassafras Point I could find no sassafras at all on the left (lake) side of the path- only very dense buckthorn saplings maturing into trees. Some hickory & flowing dogwood on the edges of the worst thicket. Underneath the old, beaver-gnawed stump & fallen trunk of the mother sassafras. But on the other side of the path, I found 3 sassafras saplings- two protected, one not.
There is a lot of the rosiola disease showing on the high branches of multi-flora rose canes above the buckthorn farther south along the path. There are also small patches of a thick, bright orange something on some of the buckthrorn leaves. Hopefully something that will kill them off. ( looked up online- seems to be something called “Crown leaf rust” This disease is caused by Puccinia coronata avenae. It affects oats, but buckthorn is an alternate host. A few stalks on either side of the creek along the patch. I didn’t not go deeper in because wearing shorts & was alone.
Continued to great meadow & looped around back to Gemini Road. Multiflora rose blooming, so are the thimble berries- 3-leaved & 5leaved. 1TVH / maybe 1 lb GM
June 5. Worked at Turkey Nest Hill 1:30- 4:30 We got 18 lbs- almost all from that area. Most of the flowers have faded although there were a few left here & there.
Something we have not seen before is that some of the GMs have shriveled & yellowed before their seed pods have matured. Others have spider-like webs at the tops. Others are covered with grey aphid-like creatures. Hopefully this is not something new & devastating
In the good news department, there are a several colonies of maple-leaf viburnum around Turkey Nest Hill and several sassafras seedlings close to the road on the way to High Lea. The path of the intermittent stream has moved north, probably in response to the new trail that was cut to avoid the bridge wash out. Some erosion forming in a new braided stream pattern. But the erosion somewhat mitigated by the heavy vegetation in the area (lots of Virginia knotweed)
The multiflora rose is in full bloom in sunny areas. The patches of it are getting thicker and spreading in this formerly high-quality area. 3 x 2hrs / 18 lbs GM & maybe 10 barberry- small
June 6, The grey aphids on the GM are a thing that’s being tracked. https://indiananativeplants.org/wp-content/uploads/Garlic-mustard-aphids-flyer_Page_1.jpg Reported to Rebecca Troutman at Holden Forest & Garden.
June 8. West side of winter barn while waiting for a Kirby Day consultant. Lots of tall GM by the apple tree I knew about. There is a second one behind it next to the barn with impressive girth. Tall Pines create good shade. This used to be part of the winter pasture- but with the mound of fill dirt from the dam re-construction, it’s grown over and looks like a new place. If we cut back the weeds, this would be a place to position some of the stations so they have some relief from the heat. TVH 0.5 / c. 2 lbs
Saturday, June 10. Back up to the plateau to scour for remaining GMs. LOTS of tall healthy ones between Turkey Nest Hill & the road, plus a few that are infested. 4 medium barberry. 6 smalls. One we couldn’t get because roots under a tree root. Needs cut & stump treated. TVH 3 hour / c. 8 Lbs
June 14. GMs & one dame’s rocket at the previously mowed entrance to Kirby driveway. TVH 0.5 / 1.5 lbs
June 19 along Forgotten Forest bridle trail scoping out for Tour the Treasure. 2 TVH / 1.5 lbs
July 5. star thistles by the water wheel TVH 1
Friday, July 7, Star thistles at winter barn apple tree. Plus 1 barberry by Cook’s Sabin. T VH 4
July 24 moving deeper along the fill dirt mound, pulling out start thistles. Came to an area heavily infested with GM now dried and seeds dispersed, even many skeletons from previous years. I remember seeing this patch years ago, but we weren’t able to access it and had to leave it alone. I’m happy to find a ground-level access point! We’ll put this area on our watch list for next year.
Still plucking out Japanese knotweed regularly at Kirby House knoll. There is much less now, although there is still plenty at the old garden site & near the spring outflow. Clipped a dozen or so Multiflora-regrowth stems & a few buckthorn. No stump treatments.
Native plant restoration at head of Lake Jinelle
Animals
August 5 digging out star thistle from near wheel, before tour. Monitoring for Japanese knotweed, Kirby House knoll. TVH 2
Saturday, June 10. Back up to the plateau to scour for remaining GMs. LOTS of tall healthy ones between Turkey Nest Hill & the road, plus a few that are infested. 4 medium barberry. 6 smalls. One we couldn’t get because roots under a tree root. Needs cut & stump treated. TVH 3 hour / c. 8 Lbs
June 14. GMs & one dame’s rocket at the previously mowed entrance to Kirby driveway. TVH 0.5 / 1.5 lbs
June 19 along Forgotten Forest bridle trail scoping out for Tour the Treasure. 2 TVH / 1.5 lbs
July 5. star thistles by the water wheel TVH 1
Friday, July 7, Star thistles at winter barn apple tree. Plus 1 barberry by Cook’s Sabin. T VH 4
July 24 moving deeper along the fill dirt mound, pulling out start thistles. Came to an area heavily infested with GM now dried and seeds dispersed, even many skeletons from previous years. I remember seeing this patch years ago, but we weren’t able to access it and had to leave it alone. I’m happy to find a ground-level access point! We’ll put this area on our watch list for next year.
Still plucking out Japanese knotweed regularly at Kirby House knoll. There is much less now, although there is still plenty at the old garden site & near the spring outflow. Clipped a dozen or so Multiflora-regrowth stems & a few buckthorn. No stump treatments.
Native plant restoration at head of Lake Jinelle
Animals
- a game trail by the young basswood tree. It goes right down to the water; I suspect it is a beaver slide.
- Kingfisher overhead
- Tiger swallowtail butterfly
- Large orange butterfly w. black wingtips. Maybe a “Red Admiral”?
- Japanese beetle – which I crushed
- A young lone basswood right at the lake margin
- ? verbena has berries at the top
- One very healthy spicebush with large leaves
- The fallen locust still sending up vertical branches that look like young trees.
- Scraggly willow
- Tulip tree sapling
- Yellow loosestrife in bloom – definitely much more abundant than last year.
- Jewelweed plants- no flowers yet- on both sides of the boundary log
- Great Lobelia leaves – maybe about the same- but I won’t be able to have an idea until it blooms
- Thimbleberry bramble (small) 3- leaved
- Swamp Rose Mallow – a second clump this year! Seven stems close to the beaver slide
- Arrowleaf
- False richweed
- Daisy fleabane
- More cattails moving in. can’t tell which type
- Self-heal
- White avens
- Virginia creeper
- Queen Anne’s Lace
- There are some bare patches
- Poison ivy
- False richweed
- Jewelweed
- Small brushy horsetails
- Sour grass
- Strawberry ?
- Dogbane
- Sensitive fern
- A tall grass
- Jack-in-the pulpit vs trillium? Large, but yellowing
- Skunk cabbage quite large, becoming purple & curling
August 5 digging out star thistle from near wheel, before tour. Monitoring for Japanese knotweed, Kirby House knoll. TVH 2
August 10. Dodder looks like orange silly string. This plant appears every summer at the head of Lake Jinelle. There is a native and an invasive variety. They only way to tell them apart is minute examination of the flowers. Beth had the flower heads examined by Dr. Stanton who told us this was a native variety. It has stayed pretty much in the same area year after year- so OK
August 18. Follow up consult with Davey Tree Company regarding the Old Oak. The tree is still doing well. There are also some epiphyte plants growing in a lower crotch, but they aren’t hurting anything.
Sept 25 Chris Moore has passed all three parts of the test for his herbicide license (per email from John). Water access still unresolved.
c. Oct 11 Anita asked me if I could identify any alternative path for hikers, now that the Kirby Driveway Bridge is out. There isn’t a realistic way to cross the creek below Lake Jinelle. But as a PR “olive branch” for park users, I identified a couple of new hiking loops. They threaded through bare patches of old campsites and did not even need any undergrowth removal! I called them “Butterfly Wings” since they are temporary and almost met each other along a straight road. The larger of the two trails went through Mable Smith Meadow and I could not help notice the progression of plant life there. I pulled out about three dozen small barberries
Oct 22. Reconnaissance for Akron Garden Club hike. Along Pine Lake segment of BT by Sassafras Point, there are two dead, dangling buckthorn trunks. Chewed off by beavers, but trapped in canopy by grapevines. The rest of the buckthorn grove is still green. Which allows a few yellow sassafras saplings to stand out. There are a couple that are not painted & I will get those protected asap.
October 25 A beautiful day. Peak colors. Primary mission: Painting sassafras trucks to protect them from being chewed down by beaver – especially since therie is a lodge close by. There are eight sassafrass sapling over 5 feet tall! Maybe 6 babies- some too small to paint. The paint has protected the painted trees, which aparently grow slowly because they haven’t cracked off the paint from a year ago. Also, cutting back buckthorn ( no herbicide- just to give the sassafras a fighting change) Also observed 2 Tulip tree, 2 dogwood, a mature maple. Sugar? Except brillinet yeallow- not red. A baby beech. red oak, a white oak all at Sassafras Point. Om the island, several red oak “bushes” & beech “bushes”. Trees that had been chewed way down by beavers then re-sprouted. Buckthron sapaling areound some, but not all shores. On the way back we took out several small barberry shoots by hand along the BT. Just west of North House bridge, there is a small area that the St. Alberts Service Day team cleared of barberry years ago. Several large bushes have infiltrated beyond the dell. Too large for shovels. TVH 7.5
August 18. Follow up consult with Davey Tree Company regarding the Old Oak. The tree is still doing well. There are also some epiphyte plants growing in a lower crotch, but they aren’t hurting anything.
Sept 25 Chris Moore has passed all three parts of the test for his herbicide license (per email from John). Water access still unresolved.
c. Oct 11 Anita asked me if I could identify any alternative path for hikers, now that the Kirby Driveway Bridge is out. There isn’t a realistic way to cross the creek below Lake Jinelle. But as a PR “olive branch” for park users, I identified a couple of new hiking loops. They threaded through bare patches of old campsites and did not even need any undergrowth removal! I called them “Butterfly Wings” since they are temporary and almost met each other along a straight road. The larger of the two trails went through Mable Smith Meadow and I could not help notice the progression of plant life there. I pulled out about three dozen small barberries
Oct 22. Reconnaissance for Akron Garden Club hike. Along Pine Lake segment of BT by Sassafras Point, there are two dead, dangling buckthorn trunks. Chewed off by beavers, but trapped in canopy by grapevines. The rest of the buckthorn grove is still green. Which allows a few yellow sassafras saplings to stand out. There are a couple that are not painted & I will get those protected asap.
October 25 A beautiful day. Peak colors. Primary mission: Painting sassafras trucks to protect them from being chewed down by beaver – especially since therie is a lodge close by. There are eight sassafrass sapling over 5 feet tall! Maybe 6 babies- some too small to paint. The paint has protected the painted trees, which aparently grow slowly because they haven’t cracked off the paint from a year ago. Also, cutting back buckthorn ( no herbicide- just to give the sassafras a fighting change) Also observed 2 Tulip tree, 2 dogwood, a mature maple. Sugar? Except brillinet yeallow- not red. A baby beech. red oak, a white oak all at Sassafras Point. Om the island, several red oak “bushes” & beech “bushes”. Trees that had been chewed way down by beavers then re-sprouted. Buckthron sapaling areound some, but not all shores. On the way back we took out several small barberry shoots by hand along the BT. Just west of North House bridge, there is a small area that the St. Alberts Service Day team cleared of barberry years ago. Several large bushes have infiltrated beyond the dell. Too large for shovels. TVH 7.5
Clive popping out small barbery, Turkey Nest Hill, Hilltop Plateau, RHP. Note that there are two types of fern being choked by a preponderance of Multiflora Rose
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Deb protecting sassafras from beavers
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