Invasives Beware!

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One of our goals at Jones Park is to support native wildlife by returning the forest to its native state. Historically, this area was a mix of prairies and woodlands with a more open understory. This ecosystem is dependent on disturbance, which at one time would have been provided by bison grazing and fires caused by either lightning, indigenous people, or settlers. The exclusion of these disturbances has created unregulated growth of invasive plant species that choke out native trees and grasses.

By manually removing the overgrown and non-native plants, we can recreate the effect of natural disturbances like grazing and fire. This allows for regeneration of the historical understory and mid-story vegetation, which can then be supported by planting of additional native trees. Increasing native plant diversity leads to an increase in the diversity of insect species, which then results in an increase in the diversity of birds and small mammals, too.

Join the Jesse Jones Park Eradicators to remove invasive plant species and restore native habitats of Jones Park. Invasives Beware! meets in the Nature Center at 9 a.m. on the third Saturday of every month. Participants need to wear closed-toed shoes and bring their own gloves. Long pants, a hat, and a refillable water bottle are recommended. Individuals under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian. In the event of inclement weather, the program will be cancelled.