The Mount Vernon Sustainability Committee is starting work on a potential prairie patch along the nature trail stretching from the Skate Park to Nature Park.
On Friday, May 31, committee members Kent Rector, Gretchen Reeh-Robinson and Darrow Center met with Andy Huck of the Linn County Conservation Department to evaluate which plants were natives that could be preserved as they are trying to get this patch of prairie going, and which were the non-native plants.
Huck recommended that the area be treated with a glysophate weed killer (like Round-Up) this year to help eliminate some of the more tenacious weeds, coupled with the work of removing the weeds by hand the committee doesn’t want to see popping up in the prairie.
Reeh-Robinson said that this is likely to be a slow process that begins with removal of invasive woody plants by hand in order to eventually seed native plants, including wildflowers.
But the trade-off for that hard work will have benefits along that nature trail, including “creating healthy soil, preventing run-off, planting pollinator habitat, and creating a kind of ‘learning lab’ for the community of these multiple benefits.”
This pairs with similar work the city will be doing in introducing prairie habitats in other parts of the city.
Center said that the city’s work on grubbing the hill this spring, especially on the trail north of First Street eliminated some of the tall grass that was along that roadway, but also allowed these more tenacious weeds to be able to get sunlight and grow in the area.
“That is why it’s especially important that we as caretakers of this land remove the emerging invasive plants, disperse native plant seeds and nurture them to germinate and establish,” Center said. “The establishment will take approximately three years, with roughly four to 10 days of work by hand each year depending on how many people in the community pitch in to help.”
The committee will be working over the summer to knock down some of these weeds and get the area ready for more native plantings to be seeded and take root.
Like any new prairie habitat that is getting formed, Huck advises citizens that it may look very patchy and unpleasant for these first few years, as the prairie ground gets back to taking hold.
“The best advice I can give is for the community to be patient with the transformations,” Huck said. “It’s going to look worse before it starts looking better.”
Even among the plants in the area, however, Huck was able to point out several plants currently at the site which are beneficial to pollinating insects, including a few spots of milkweed.
Of course, there are some troublesome plants among the crops as well that will need to be removed, including some species of wild parsnips.
The committee is asking anyone who wants to help with this project to get in contact with them – Center at [email protected] or Reeh-Robinson at [email protected] – to find times they will be working on these projects now and in the future.
“This would be a great service project for a scouting group, church group or others seeking volunteer hours to get involved with,” Center said.