shelburne news: parks and paths
TRANSCRIPT
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ShelburneNews:Parks&PathsColumn
ByPegRosenau
April12,2012
ShelburneFrogbitHarvest:CallingallPaddlers
JustsouthofusinCharlotte,animpressiveefforthasbeenunderwaytogreatly
reducetheamountoftheinvasiveplantfrogbit,afloatingaquaticplantthatis
chokingupriversandmarshesaroundLakeChamplain.Forthepastseveralyears,
theLewisCreekAssociationanditsconservationpartnershavebeensuccessfully
controllingthepopulationbyremovingandcompostingmanytonsofthisplant
fromTownFarmBay.
Lastseason,asurveyinShelburneshowedthatfrogbithasalsogainedafootholdin
theLaplatteRiverandMcCabe'sBrook,andtheraceisontopreventanallout
takeoveroftheopenwatersurfaceintheseareasbythisnefariousweed.
FrogbitwasfirstdiscoveredinLakeChamplainin1993,anditisthoughtthatit
likelywasbroughtinonboattrailersfromaninfestedlakeinNewYorkorOntario.
NativetoEurope,frogbitisafloatingplantwithsmall,heartshaped,leatheryleaves
andasinglethreepetaledwhiteflower.Therootsdonotattachtothesubstrate,so
itdriftsfreelyfromplacetoplace,congregatinginrivermouthsandcalmerbayand
marshareas.Ifleftunchecked,theplantreproducesrapidlyandtheroots
intertwineandformhugedensematsthatcanblockwaterways,chokeoutnative
vegetation,andnegativelyimpactrecreationopportunitieslikefishingand
kayaking.
ApartnershipofconservationgroupsincludingLewisCreek,ShelburneNaturalResources&ConservationCommittee,ShelburneBayBoatClub,theNature
Conservancy,andtheLaplatteWatershedPartnershiphavebeengearingupall
wintertoestablishplansforafrogbitremovalvolunteergroupwithabaseatthe
ShelburneBayBoatClubatthemouthoftheLaplatteRiver.
Tobeeffective,theremovalprojectmustbeperformedbeforetheplantsendsup
flowersandbeginstoproduceturionssmallreproductivebudsthatbreakoffthe
plantandsinktothebottomtooverwinter.Aseachplantcanproduce100ormore
turions,early,intensiveremovaleffortsarenecessarytokeepgrowthsuppressedto
manageablelevels.Thecrucialremovaltimeisgenerallyovertheeightweeks
betweenJune1andAugust1.
Theplantsfloatandcanbescoopedoffthesurfacewithhandrakesornetsfroma
canoeorkayak.Fullbasketsareunloadedontotheshoreandlefttodryout.Drying
destroystheplantcompletelynospecialdisposalisnecessarytoavoidre
populationofthewaterwayfromtheharvestedmaterial.
Eliminatingtheplantcompletelyfromwaterwaysisprobablyunrealistic,andthe
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goaloftheprogramistokeepthefrogbitpopulationatalevelthatdoesnotimpact
nativefloraandfauna,waterqualityorrecreationopportunities.The2012planis
onlythestartofwhatwillneedtobeanongoingmonitoringandremovalprogram.
Volunteerfrogbitpickersandwaterwaymonitorswillbeessentialtothesuccessof
thiseffort,aswillfinancialsupportfromorganizationsthatsupportthe
maintenanceofahealthyLakeChamplain.
OrganizersplantoruntwiceweeklyremovalpartiesthroughoutJuneandJuly,with
avarietyofdaysandhoursavailabletoaccommodatedifferentworkschedules.
LewisCreekAssociationwillprovidecanoes,kayaks,lifevests,handrakesand
buckets,aswellastraininginidentificationandremovaltechnique.Volunteerswho
havetheirowncanoesandkayaks(areascanbetooshallowormarshyformotor
boats)arealsoencouragedtojointheeffort,asarescouts,neighborhoods,andother
groupswhorecreateinLakeChamplain.Familiesarealsowelcomethoughthis
activityisprobablybestforolderchildrenwhocanhandleaboatandhavethe
staminatobeonthewaterforseveralhours.
Byallaccounts,frogbitpickingisafun,communitybuildingactivitywithahigh
degreeofsatisfactionasresultsareimmediate.Participantsalsogettoseesome
incrediblewildlifeandenjoysometimeinabeautifulnaturalareawhilehelping
preservethelakethattheylove.Ifyouoryourgroupwouldliketobeincludedon
theemaillistthatwillprovideuptodateinformationondaysandtimesofremoval
parties,pleasecontactShelburneprojectcoordinatorJudyRavenat9852247or
TheinvasivespeciesFrogbitthreatenstochoketheLaplatteRiverandMcCabe's
brook.Theleavesareaboutthesizeofaquarter;muchsmallerthanthoseof
commonlillypads.