While reading my previous post a thought occurred to me, specifically, that ideology requires practice, or as we used to say in graduate school when anyone made a brilliant observation: so what? Meaning, okay, that was very impressive. Now relate it to meaningful action, a larger scope, the world outside. So what does it mean to work your land? The blueprint was drafted by First Peoples across the North American continent who had to steward the landscape in order to survive. (Side note: procuring from the land everything humans need to survive - everything, all of it - is not possible for anyone in the modern world. First Peoples survived as a community with millennia of cultural memory and knowledge, and even then starved in years of scarcity.) It means actively shaping the landscape for the health and well being of the landscape and all life within it, as though your life depends on it. Which it does. Not a revolutionary concept, but one that needs to be reinforced, often. So, what does that mean?
Okay. First, as this is (ostensibly) an invasive control and land restoration blog, it means as a matter of everyday practice controlling for non-native invasive species, in today's case non-native invasive plants (NNIP). All right, what does this mean? It means changing from the limited mindset of "controlling invasives" to the larger scope of "land stewardship." (Or, as I like to say, landscape scale gardening, because that's what it is.) By removing NNIP you're making space for native plant species to expand and thrive, which lays the foundation for a diverse native ecosystem, which supports native insects, which then support birds, fish, and small mammals, and so on and so forth. So - this is not a "special project" you gear up for once in a while and then check off on your to do list. It's something you do all the time, in big ways and small. It's a mindset, the way of the gardener if you like, a living, working partnership with the land.
Okay, you say, got it. What the h*** does all of this mean in terms of actually doing anything? Well, then, I guess it's time for........bullet points! Also, for very aggressive, rhizomatous species like knotweed, phragmites, reed canary grass, and such, the following don't apply. Do not take on these species without an executable plan based on research and experience, and make sure you have basic knowledge of any NNIP species you're dealing with (available at VTInvasives.org). Now, onward!
One: Always be pulling. The idea that we are so privileged that we can just walk around a landscape and pretend not to notice the invasives everywhere is as of now relegated to the dustbin of history. Always wear gloves, always carry a folding saw (or snips if you must), and always pull by the roots if at all possible. Take a moment and clear one small space. Hack a branch off a buckthorn. Don't wrestle with a big messy job. Pick easy wins, i.e., pull a bunch of easy to get saplings. This one action leads to real, visible, lasting change, especially over time. Really, it might be the most important shift you can make. And yes, it's work, something you do whether you feel like it or not. Feel the love!
Two: Create clearings. This maneuver is a little more involved. Pick an area that's dense with NNIP and clear it completely. Get in there and take out all of it, which again means pulling by the roots if possible. There's often a discernible transition/boundary around an NNIP population, or just pick a feature as the worksite limit. For herbaceous species like garlic mustard, weed whack it when it's in full bloom but before seeding. The key is to clear the entire area. The result will very often be a vigorous filling of the space with native species; it's remarkable how quickly and strongly this happens. This underutilized, highly effective strategy can be hard work, but the positive results are indisputable. (Very important - once the area is cleared, revisit it periodically to control NNIP regeneration/incursion - and enjoy the transformation.)
Three: Take out seed bearing stems. Okay, this should be number two, so sue me. This is a little less of a "Hulk smash" and more of a thinking brain strategy, but still something you can and must do anytime. It's work, remember? For woody species (honeysuckle, buckthorn, privet, etc), if you see berries on it, drop it. Cut it down. (This goes for Norway maple as well. Especially Norway maple.) Ideally you'd break it down into a brush pile, but maybe you don't care that much. This is where it all starts, folks. No seeds, no invasives. And really, this is bigger than any of us 'cause one thing's for sure - that honeysuckle on your back forty with hundreds of berries on it is making little honeysuckles all over your region. Your neighbors (and their neighbors and their neighbors.....) will shower you with gratitude for not infesting their land with landscape destroying NNIP. Okay, maybe not. Do it anyways.
More to come........