Originally Published in Seven Mile Times' August 2015 issue
Barren landscape immediately following clearing of invasive vines on 111th St. near 2nd St.
Fresh and more healthy regrowth following clearing on 111th St. near 2nd St.
Invasion of the GREEN MEANIES Non-Native Plants Threaten the Health of Our Wildlife Habitats By Dr. Lenore Tedesco of The Wetlands Institute
Barren landscape immediately following clearing of invasive vines on 111th St. near 3rd St.
W
e are fortunate to live in an area so rich with wildlife and natural areas. Cape May County is considered a globally significant bird area. It is internationally known as a spectacular stopover for migrating birds and butterflies, and provides critical habitat for a variety of wildlife that enriches us all. Seven Mile Beach has a wealth of natural areas that provide refuge to both resident and migratory wildlife: from the extensive vegetated dune systems, to remnant Atlantic Maritime Forests in both Avalon and Stone Harbor, to areas around Stone Harbor Point, and the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary and Armacost Park. Many of these natural areas unfortunately suffer from the impacts of excessive growth of non-native and invasive vegetation that limits the quality of the habitat that they provide.
Invasive plants are alien invaders. They are plants that have been introduced either intentionally (for example, through landscaping) or accidentally (e.g., shipping containers from overseas), and have the potential to harm critical wildlife habitat. Some common and perhaps well-known examples that were introduced through the landscaping and garden trade include English ivy, butterfly bush, Japanese barberry, autumn or Russian olive, and mimosa, to name a few. The Cape May Mapping Project recently completed an inventory of plants in Cape May County. Alarmingly, they found that only 59 percent of the more than 1,200 species of plants found were native. And new invasive plants are being found in the county on an annual basis at a much faster rate than new or previously unknown native plants. A drive by some of the natural areas will
Fresh and more healthy regrowth following clearing on 111th St. near 3rd St.
quickly show the often-devastating effects of these invaders. Trees whose trunks and branches are completely encased in English ivy are suffering a slow and suffocating death. Whether the incredible weight of the ivy results in falling branches and broken limbs, or the shading of the tree’s leaves progressively robs the tree of food to survive, the end result is typically the death of large, majestic trees, many of which sprouted before these alien invaders were introduced into our area. Invasive plants come from somewhere else and don’t have the same controls that keep them in check as native plants. They typically have a longer growing season, widespread and resistant root systems, and produce a huge number of offspring. If you see a plant or shrub that is green long before other plants are, or still has its leaves long after others do, chances are excellent that
it’s non-native. When a non-native invasive plant colonizes an area, it can easily out-compete native plants and overtake forests, grasslands, wetlands and gardens. Once established, non-native invasive plants can quickly take the place of native ones, creating a landscape often dominated by one plant that provides little benefit to people and wildlife. It may look green and lush, when in fact the habitat provides little benefit to wildlife. Both Armacost Park and the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary are areas that are suffering from an invasion of non-native and invasive vines. Both are also areas where ongoing efforts are underway to help restore native vegetation and restore wildlife habitat. In both the park and sanctuary, invasive and nonnative plants are smothering trees and impacting the health and suitability of the natural area for wildlife. continued on page 110
The Wetlands Institute’s gardens are dominated by native plants to support wildlife
Smothering vegetation continued from page 108
The Wetlands Institute, working with the Borough of Stone Harbor, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Bird Sanctuary Committee, has been working on a program for invasive-species control and management at the bird sanctuary for the past two years. The plan includes several aspects of habitat restoration including cutting and removal of invasive vines, native plantings, and education and outreach programs. Armacost Park has been undergoing a similar restoration effort. Invasive-plant management is a difficult and ongoing project that requires years of repetitive management. At first, these areas look scarred and barren, but within a few weeks they are lush and green. Unfortunately, some of the regrowth and resprouting is of invasive plants, but native plants can sometimes reclaim their space. Other times, the addition of native plantings is required to enable them to gain a foothold to reclaim their ground. The response of wildlife, however, is immediate and readily apparent to those with the trained eye. In the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary, black-crowned night herons have been seen in increasing numbers, and their favored locations are the trees that have had the smothering vine blankets removed. Neotropical migratory songbirds and many resident birds quickly moved into areas of the bird sanctuary that were cleared of invasive vines and ground cover. These areas are their favored nesting and feeding grounds now. Work at the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary will take years to accomplish its goal. Restoration work also includes native plantings in the many sanctuary gardens. The gardens are designed to support the needs of wildlife, while also being drought-resistant, supporting
water-conservation initiatives and providing stunning and colorful displays for the enjoyment of people as well as wildlife. Managing invasive plants in your yard – avoiding adding plants that are known to be invasive, and using native plants in your gardens – is a great way to support wildlife and help take back our natural areas. There is a lot you can do to help prevent the spread of invasive plants. Many groups are working on this issue, and in Cape May County, the Cape May Habitat Restoration Task Force is undertaking many projects. The task force is a coordinated invasive-plant management group dedicated to controlling non-native invasive plants and restoring wildlife habitat throughout the county. The task force is a partnership between numerous members of Cape May County community including the state and federal government, local municipalities, nonprofit organizations including New Jersey Audubon, the Nature Conservancy, and The Wetlands Institute, land managers, businesses and homeowners. The partnership hosts invasive-plant workshops and volunteer programs. They also work closely with the NJ Invasive Species Strike Team. The strike team developed a very helpful app for iPhone and android phones for identifying and reporting invasive species (search for “NJInvasives” in the app store for a free download). Knowing the best plants for native gardens – as well as plants to be avoided – is an important first step. Make sure to ask your landscapers what they intend to plant in your gardens and avoid known problem plants. Unfortunately, many of these plants are still available at nurseries and garden centers, and even favored by landscapers because they are so hardy! There are lots of resources you can use. One resource is the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary website that provides maps of
the gardens and a listing of native plants that can be found there. The NJ Invasive Species Strike Force (www.njisst.org) has lists of plants that should not be planted and the Native Plant Society of New Jersey (www.npsnj.org) has information on native plants for our area. The gardens at The Wetlands Institute are
also a great resource. If you are looking for native plants, make sure you check out the native-plant sale next May at The Wetlands Institute. Plant and garden experts will be on hand to answer questions, and many of the plants are in the gardens at either the sanctuary or institute for a firsthand look.
The Wetlands Institute
Summer Activities
FREE WITH ADMISSION THROUGH LABOR DAY: • Hooked on Fishing and Crabbing at the Dock – Saturday and Sunday. • Salt Marsh Safari - Daily. • Creature Feature – Monday through Friday. • Catch ’o the Day - Monday, Wednesday, Friday. • Aquarium Feeding - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. • Totally Turtle Tuesdays and Horseshoe Crabmania Thursdays - Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
ADDITIONAL FEES APPLY: • Back Bay Birding and Wildlife Tours - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. • Dune and Beach Exploration - Monday in Stone Harbor, Wednesday in Avalon. • Back Bay Kayaking and Paddleboarding – Monday through Friday. • Evening Back Bay Kayaking – Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. For details or to make a reservation, visit wetlandsinstitute.org or call 609-368-1211. Dr. Lenore P. Tedesco is the Executive Director of The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor. Tedesco has a Ph.D. in marine geology and geophysics from the University of Miami, and a bachelor’s degree in geology from Boston University. She joined The Wetlands Institute in October 2011. Prior to then, she had been a professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Indiana-Purdue University for 21 years. She has focused her research activities on coastal and wetland ecosystem dynamics and restoration.