Garlic mustard pull event
May 17, 2011
On May 21, 2011 the White River Partnership and the Upper White River Cooperative Weed Management Association (CWMA) will be hosting a garlic mustard weed pulling event in downtown Rochester, near the Rochester High School, from 9 am to noon. Garlic mustard is a non-native invasive plant that has the potential to spread aggressively throughout the Upper White River Watershed and is the target of a serious effort to control its spread.
About the CWMA
The Upper White River Cooperative Weed Management Association (CWMA) is a collaborative effort among land owners, state and federal government agencies, and NGOs to address the effects of non-native invasive plants (NNIP) across jurisdictional/ownership boundaries within the Upper White River watershed. The CWMA consists of the Town of Rochester, Green Mountain National Forest, George D. Aiken Resource Conservation & Development Council, White River Partnership, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation, and Vermont Agency of Transportation. The CWMA is actively engaged in inventorying, monitoring, controlling, and preventing the spread of several species of NNIP.
About garlic mustard
Controlling the spread of garlic mustard is among the CWMA’s top priorities because of the plant’s ability to spread quickly and displace the native vegetation within an area, and its detrimental effect on the West Virginia White Butterfly, a sensitive species in the region. The West Virginia White Butterfly commonly mistakes garlic mustard for toothwort, a native plant with similar looking leaves. However the butterfly’s larvae does not survive on the underside of garlic mustard leaves. Subsequently, the spread of garlic mustard will have a direct impact on the butterfly’s ability to sustain a viable population in the region.
MaryBeth Deller, botanist with the Green Mountain National Forest, says, “We are targeting this particular NNIP because it is a relative newcomer to the valley; we have the opportunity to do something about it before it becomes widespread.” Garlic mustard spreads quickly throughout stream corridors and in areas where frequent travel occurs. The Rochester village location was chosen because it contains a large patch of garlic mustard adjacent to a well used trail and mowed area, making it highly susceptible to spreading the scores of seeds that each plant produces. A single plant can produce up to 5,000 seeds, which is why it is critical to remove as many plants as possible before they go to seed (typically in late July and August). This allows only a limited window of opportunity to have an impact on the spread of garlic mustard.
Garlic mustard takes over areas and homogenizes ground cover by spreading a chemical in the soil that kills valuable naturally occurring soil fungi which native plants depend on for nutrient uptake. The spread of garlic mustard is precipitated by the fact that it has no natural predators. For more information about garlic mustard, check out the Nature Conservancy’s Wise on Weeds! invasive fact sheet.
Join us!
The May 21st Garlic Mustard Pull will be a family-friendly event with opportunities to learn how to identify and prevent the spread of garlic mustard on your own property. Volunteers will be meeting at 9 am in the Rochester High School parking lot. Gloves, trash bags, and light snacks will be provided. Contact us with questions or to RSVP.
Posted: July 12, 2011 by wrp_admin
Crayfish Monitoring Workshop
July 12, 2011 Vermont state biologists are seeking help to document the presence of two non-native crayfish species in the White River. On Thursday and Friday, July 21 and 22, the WRP and Jennifer Guarino are teaming up to offer a free Crayfish Monitoring Workshop to train interested teachers and community volunteers how to monitor crayfish in the White River and its tributaries. Teachers are invited to attend both days of the workshop, which will cover crayfish ecology, investigation methods, quality control techniques for data collection, and curriculum development. Community volunteers are invited to attend a ½-day session on Thursday afternoon to learn about trapping crayfish and gathering high-quality data.
Non-native crayfish
The rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) is an alien species that has taken up residence in the White River watershed. Besides displacing native crayfish, it can disrupt the river’s ecosystem and destroy fish nurseries. Aquatic biologists are very concerned about the rusty crayfish, yet they know little about its populations and impacts in Vermont. Last summer, we worked with several White River teachers and Jim Kellogg, Vermont state aquatic biologist, to survey crayfish in the White River behind the White River National Fish Hatchery in Bethel. Amazingly, we caught 8 individuals of the species Cambarus robustus, the big water crayfish, a species that had never been seen in Vermont! Is this the latest invasive crayfish to hit our state?!? More monitoring is needed to begin to answer this question.
Workshop details
The free, 2-day Crayfish Monitoring Workshop for teachers will begin at 9 am and end at 4:30 pm each day, and includes indoor and outdoor sessions; the ½-day session for community volunteers begins at 12:30 and ends at 4:30pm on Thursday. Refreshments will be provided. This free workshop is made possible by generous funding from the VT Watershed Grant and Grant-in-Aid programs and the Wellborn Ecology Fund.
For more information
To register and receive more information, please contact Jennifer Guarino at (802) 728-9135 or jguarino556@gmail.com. Space is limited – please contact us soon if you are interested in this opportunity!
Posted: June 7, 2011 by wrp_admin
Water quality monitoring begins
Water quality monitoring begins
June 07, 2011
On June 8, the White River Partnership (WRP) will kick-off its 11th season of monitoring water quality at over 20 sites along the White River and its tributaries. Twenty trained volunteers will keep tabs on bacteria, conductivity, temperature, and water clarity at swimming holes and other public access sites around the watershed.
2011 monitoring sites
2011_Water_Quality_sites
About the Program
In 2001, the WRP developed the volunteer-led Water Quality Monitoring Program in response to community concerns that bacteria and other contaminants might be making some waters unsafe for recreation. Because of its close relationship to public health, we make the bacteria results available to the public every other Thursday via email, mail and our website. If you would like to receive the biweekly bacteria results directly, please contact us.
Over the past 7 months, the WRP has worked with The Dartmouth Institute to survey watershed towns about their use of our water quality monitoring data. As a result, the WRP will improve education and outreach about water quality issues so that town officials and community members can make informed decisions that protect public health and the environment.
For more information
To learn more about the WRP’s 2011 water quality monitoring program, visit our Program page.
Posted: May 17, 2011 by wrp_admin
Garlic mustard pull event
Garlic mustard pull event
May 17, 2011
On May 21, 2011 the White River Partnership and the Upper White River Cooperative Weed Management Association (CWMA) will be hosting a garlic mustard weed pulling event in downtown Rochester, near the Rochester High School, from 9 am to noon. Garlic mustard is a non-native invasive plant that has the potential to spread aggressively throughout the Upper White River Watershed and is the target of a serious effort to control its spread.
About the CWMA
The Upper White River Cooperative Weed Management Association (CWMA) is a collaborative effort among land owners, state and federal government agencies, and NGOs to address the effects of non-native invasive plants (NNIP) across jurisdictional/ownership boundaries within the Upper White River watershed. The CWMA consists of the Town of Rochester, Green Mountain National Forest, George D. Aiken Resource Conservation & Development Council, White River Partnership, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation, and Vermont Agency of Transportation. The CWMA is actively engaged in inventorying, monitoring, controlling, and preventing the spread of several species of NNIP.
About garlic mustard
Controlling the spread of garlic mustard is among the CWMA’s top priorities because of the plant’s ability to spread quickly and displace the native vegetation within an area, and its detrimental effect on the West Virginia White Butterfly, a sensitive species in the region. The West Virginia White Butterfly commonly mistakes garlic mustard for toothwort, a native plant with similar looking leaves. However the butterfly’s larvae does not survive on the underside of garlic mustard leaves. Subsequently, the spread of garlic mustard will have a direct impact on the butterfly’s ability to sustain a viable population in the region.
MaryBeth Deller, botanist with the Green Mountain National Forest, says, “We are targeting this particular NNIP because it is a relative newcomer to the valley; we have the opportunity to do something about it before it becomes widespread.” Garlic mustard spreads quickly throughout stream corridors and in areas where frequent travel occurs. The Rochester village location was chosen because it contains a large patch of garlic mustard adjacent to a well used trail and mowed area, making it highly susceptible to spreading the scores of seeds that each plant produces. A single plant can produce up to 5,000 seeds, which is why it is critical to remove as many plants as possible before they go to seed (typically in late July and August). This allows only a limited window of opportunity to have an impact on the spread of garlic mustard.
Garlic mustard takes over areas and homogenizes ground cover by spreading a chemical in the soil that kills valuable naturally occurring soil fungi which native plants depend on for nutrient uptake. The spread of garlic mustard is precipitated by the fact that it has no natural predators. For more information about garlic mustard, check out the Nature Conservancy’s Wise on Weeds! invasive fact sheet.
Join us!
The May 21st Garlic Mustard Pull will be a family-friendly event with opportunities to learn how to identify and prevent the spread of garlic mustard on your own property. Volunteers will be meeting at 9 am in the Rochester High School parking lot. Gloves, trash bags, and light snacks will be provided. Contact us with questions or to RSVP.