We are so excited to announce that the Barrington Area Community Foundation has granted funds for our 2022 Natural Land Preservation & Community Restoration initiative! BACT is so grateful for BACF’s on-going support and encouragement as we endeavor to preserve Barrington’s rare and exceptional open spaces for current and future generations.
Watch for more details about this year’s stewardship programs and opportunities for you to get involved! Visit bactrust.org for more information.
See you in the fields!
Summer Tactics for Invasive Plant Control
Dames Rocket found this spring at Pederson Preserve in the newly seeded fly-dump clean up area! If left alone, it will crowd out native species as it spreads shockingly quickly.
Dames Rocket on the left - distinguish it from Native Phlox on the right by the number of petals: 4 = bad vs 5 = good!
Burning Bush is common throughout Barrington - gardeners love the fall display. It threatens a variety of habitats including forests and prairies where it forms dense thickets, displacing many native woody and herbaceous plant species.
Purple Loosestrife displaces and replaces native flora and fauna, eliminating food, nesting and shelter for wildlife. It forms a single-species stand that no native bird, mammal or fish depends upon, and germinates faster than many native wetland species.
Reed Canary Grass forms dense, persistent, mono-typic stands in wetlands, moist meadows, and riparian areas. These stands exclude and displace desirable native plants and animals, plus constrict waterways and irrigation canals by promoting silt deposition.
For example, some wildflower mixes include Dames Rocket (always check the seed list). Many nurseries offer invasive shrubs- such as Burning Bush and Barberry.
So why would these plants be sold here? Many of them are pretty and since they have no natural predators or disease in this ecosystem, they can thrive.
This makes them attractive to gardeners.
Yet precisely because they can
grow and multiply unchecked,
they destroy native species and
can cause the collapse of a local ecosystem.
Summer is often the time when it is easiest to identify a plant, but it is not always the best time to address the issue!
Common control techniques fall into two categories: mechanical and chemical. Many invasives will respond to attempts to eradicate them by growing even stronger!
Mechanical control includes cutting down, pulling out or digging up plants.
Cutting during the growing season often triggers even more growth. Pulling or digging out does not always get the entire root system so the plant re-sprouts - often vigorously!
Adding chemical control can be more successful, but will also harm surrounding desirable plants. These chemicals also come with health risks. Follow label instructs carefully and apply only to the targeted plants.
Established invasive plants may also have created an extensive seed bank - seeds that have dropped into the soil - that will happily sprout in coming years.
Identify where invasives have established in your garden during the summer, when they are easy to ID. Create a simple map of your garden and mark in your calendar when you will fight back - woody plants in the winter and herbaceous in the early spring.
Cutting back and spraying during dormant winter months can be very successful. Pulling spindly seedlings from moist spring soil can be very therapeutic and significantly reduce that year's growth. Clipping immature seed heads and disposing of them in the trash (not the compost or yard waste) will stop adding any more to the seed bank.
Remember - this is a marathon, not a sprint - be prepared for a multi-year assault!
And take heart, our Conservation@Home team can visit your garden and help create a plan.
BACT can also connect you with local landscape contractors with extensive experience eradicating invasives - give us a call or email!
The Wahls family joined the Barrington community in 2016. Aaron and Kristin have been blessed with three boys: Noah (age 8), Theo (age 6) and Levi (age 3). The wonderful rural setting of Barrington Hills provided the perfect backdrop in which to live and raise a family. They’ve enjoyed expanding their little farm, each year adding a multitude of animals and food sources. Aaron's roots are in rural central Illinois on a multi-generational family farm. Enjoying and fostering a deep appreciation of nature and the outdoors has always been a passion of his, "I am excited to be a part of BACT and to help promote the values of conservation and land stewardship that the organization represents!"
What is a watershed? How does everyday life impact the water we drink? What role do plants and soil play in water quality? Who takes care of our water? In this episode, we focus on our local watershed and how that is impacted through our conservation efforts. We have a guest speakers from the Flint Creek Spring Creek Watershed Partnership and BACOG join us to discuss our aquifers and how we can all make an impact in the health of our water systems.
These podcasts are made possible through funding by the Barrington Area Community Foundation.