A small group of dedicated environmentalists got together last weekend on “Stewardship Saturday” to clean up invasive species at Columbus County Park in St. Clair County. The group braved the mud and cold to remove plants that could choke out native species.
The environmentalist group was after Japanese Barberry and Multiflora Rose plants, specifically. According to Kirsten Lyons, Stewardship Director for Friends of the St. Clair River, they got “ quite a bit of invasive species lopping done.” Lyons has been mapping and monitoring the park for two years, “determining where the highest quality habitats are and also where the challenges and threats” are so they can strategically target invasive species management efforts.
She gave credit to the park staff for their protection and conversation of the park. The Friends of the St. Clair River work with staff to keep the waterway healthy and clean. The group gets together on the first Saturday morning of January, February, March and April for similar activities. They started in September of last year. New volunteers are always welcome.
