Nov 18, 2007
Redding
For Eagle Scout project
Ullman organizes attack on invasive plant
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Submitted article
On Oct. 21, Boy Scouts from Redding Troop 15 and friends from Joel Barlow High School came equipped with cutters, work gloves and sprayers to the Saugatuk Falls Natural Area, across from the John Read Middle School. Their mission — clean out the Japanese barberry, an invasive plant that has taken over the area.
The work was organized by Glen Ullman, a Joel Barlow High School sophomore who chose the cleanup of this nature preserve as his Eagle Scout project. Glen has organized four work days at the site over the past year, and with the help of 25 Boy Scouts, scout leaders, parents, and friends, has cut away most of the barberry bordering the trails and around the stone wall.
Japanese barberry was brought to America from Asia in the late 19th Century, and was planted as an ornamental. But it is now reproducing in the wild, and has become a threat to the ecology and the scenery of Connecticut and many other states. It spreads quickly, and chokes off the ability of other native plants to thrive. The process of eliminating the barberry involves first clipping the plants at the base, and then spraying with a home-made solution of vinegar, salt and detergent to deter re-growth.
Before a Boy Scout can attain the rank of Eagle, the highest rank in scouting, he must plan and lead his fellow scouts in a community service project.
In choosing his Eagle project, Glen knew he wanted to do something for conservation, to help keep Redding’s natural areas beautiful. He contacted Fred Schroeder of the Redding Conservation Commission, and asked if there was anything the town especially needed to be done. Mr. Schroeder suggested he tackle the Japanese barberry.
“He walked me through the Saugatuk Falls area, and I saw that it was infested with these invasive plants,” Glen said. “They stretched along the whole left side of the entrance in an infinite sea of barberry.”
Then, to learn more about Redding’s problem with invasive plants, Glen attended a Redding Garden Club lecture by Tim Abbott, an expert on invasive species. That really opened his eyes to the problem that Redding was facing. “I didn’t want to see Redding’s woods destroyed, and that’s when I decided to take on this project,” Glen said.
“At first, I thought it would be simple. I thought we would make one major sweep and remove the plants in such numbers that the Conservation Commission would be able to tackle it as it grew back. But there were a few challenges. It was tough to estimate the amount of herbicide we would need, and I spent hours making the mixture with over 30 gallons of vinegar, plus salt and detergent. Another challenge was that the plants have very large, prickly thorns, and that added to the time it took to remove them. In the end, we needed four work days to complete the project.
“We spent a grand total of 145 man-hours, including preparation and cleanup,” said Glen. “Many scouts, parents, and friends helped out, and I am happy to see that the barberry we cut last fall has not yet grown back. But this will take ongoing maintenance. Mr. Schroeder leads a group in every year, and I hope that Troop 15 will continue the effort in the future. I think that many people ignore the danger, but invasive plants will eventually kill everything else if left unchecked.”
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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