Invasive Species
Buckthorn Jersey
An obvious challenge when hauling buckthorn branches is that they are pokey. The word “thorn” is right there in the name. Protecting your flesh with a thick canvas jacket is a wise tactic, but what if the temperature demands a more breathable garment? One option is wearing an old hockey jersey, which provides moderate thorn protection while being considerably cooler than a work coat.
Matching the jersey colors to the wildflowers is a potential happy accident.
The Buckthorn Crusader of Lakeview Park
The eastern stretches of Lakeview Park with an abundant mature buckthorn jungle.
After an hour or two of relentlessly battling buckthorn, you may sit to rest and close your eyes for a moment. If you do this, you’re likely to see pokey spear-like shapes in your closed-eye vision.
In my eight-year quest to de-buckthorn a particular unknown Duluth park, I have come to know this particular plant quite well. And in my obsessive need to destroy it, I believe it has come to know me. I even joined a city-organized and backed volunteer group dedicated to destroying every last seed and stem of non-native explosive-growth monster plants. (more…)
PDD Video Lab: Invasive Jumping Worm
In this edition of the PDD Video Lab we’ve taken three seconds of video of an invasive jumping worm, shot by Carly Ziter, and looped it a few times with the most obvious music possible. (more…)