There is an axis of evil in the Owasco Flats, and the powerful group is disrupting the natives.
Native plant species, that is.
At the flats, an 89-acre, county-owned reserve at the southern tip of Owasco Lake, invasive species such as Purple Loosestrife, Garlic Mustard, Phragmites and Black Swallowwort are crowding out plants native to the area, according to Sandie Doran, a board member of the Owasco Flats Nature Reserve Inc.
In an effort to combat the invasion, Doran's nonprofit organization is using part of a $12,320 grant from the national Five-Star Restoration Program to hire a licensed commercial pesticide applicator that will treat the Phragmites, or common reed, with herbicides. The application is currently awaiting permit approval from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and will likely take place some time during the summer, Doran said.
Earlier this week, the county Legislature passed a resolution authorizing its chairman to sign paperwork allowing the group to accept the $5,220 grant portion intended for invasive species control.
Though some of the invasive species in the flats' wetland lands are pretty to look at, they are not native to the area and don't have any natural predators, said Cayuga County Director of Parks and Trails Gary Duckett.
“Garlic mustard grows so fast and so early in spring that it gets a jump on the native species just now emerging,” Duckett said, noting that Phragmites can grow to more than 10 feet tall.
The approximately 30 members of Owasco Flats Nature Reserve Inc. are concerned about such plants' environmental impact. If these invasive species take over, Doran said, it will reduce wildlife use and affect biological diversity.
It's important to have a variety of plants, rather than just a lot of one type, Duckett added.
“It throws off the whole ecosystem,” he said of invasive plants. “It eliminates the diversity of the habitat that the native species have enjoyed.”
In addition to the upcoming herbicide application, the Owasco Flats volunteer organization, as well as other local groups and residents, have been involved in monitoring the area to determine if there are more invasive species that need to be addressed. BOCES students recently helped to uproot plant after plant of garlic mustard, Doran said.
“Basically, we just try to protect the ecological integrity of the Owasco Flats,” Doran explained of the nonprofit, which also organizes cleanups, sponsors educational programs and promotes the recreational opportunities available at the Owasco Flats.
Duckett expressed his gratefulness to the volunteers for keeping an eye on a secluded area that some county residents might not even know exists.
“They are trying to do what the county would do if it had the resources to do it,” he said.
The rest of the Five-Star grant money will be used for a water control structure and continued monitoring initiatives, Doran said.
Staff writer Linda Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or linda.ober@lee.net
At the flats, an 89-acre, county-owned reserve at the southern tip of Owasco Lake, invasive species such as Purple Loosestrife, Garlic Mustard, Phragmites and Black Swallowwort are crowding out plants native to the area, according to Sandie Doran, a board member of the Owasco Flats Nature Reserve Inc.
In an effort to combat the invasion, Doran's nonprofit organization is using part of a $12,320 grant from the national Five-Star Restoration Program to hire a licensed commercial pesticide applicator that will treat the Phragmites, or common reed, with herbicides. The application is currently awaiting permit approval from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and will likely take place some time during the summer, Doran said.
Earlier this week, the county Legislature passed a resolution authorizing its chairman to sign paperwork allowing the group to accept the $5,220 grant portion intended for invasive species control.
Though some of the invasive species in the flats' wetland lands are pretty to look at, they are not native to the area and don't have any natural predators, said Cayuga County Director of Parks and Trails Gary Duckett.
“Garlic mustard grows so fast and so early in spring that it gets a jump on the native species just now emerging,” Duckett said, noting that Phragmites can grow to more than 10 feet tall.
The approximately 30 members of Owasco Flats Nature Reserve Inc. are concerned about such plants' environmental impact. If these invasive species take over, Doran said, it will reduce wildlife use and affect biological diversity.
It's important to have a variety of plants, rather than just a lot of one type, Duckett added.
“It throws off the whole ecosystem,” he said of invasive plants. “It eliminates the diversity of the habitat that the native species have enjoyed.”
In addition to the upcoming herbicide application, the Owasco Flats volunteer organization, as well as other local groups and residents, have been involved in monitoring the area to determine if there are more invasive species that need to be addressed. BOCES students recently helped to uproot plant after plant of garlic mustard, Doran said.
“Basically, we just try to protect the ecological integrity of the Owasco Flats,” Doran explained of the nonprofit, which also organizes cleanups, sponsors educational programs and promotes the recreational opportunities available at the Owasco Flats.
Duckett expressed his gratefulness to the volunteers for keeping an eye on a secluded area that some county residents might not even know exists.
“They are trying to do what the county would do if it had the resources to do it,” he said.
The rest of the Five-Star grant money will be used for a water control structure and continued monitoring initiatives, Doran said.
Staff writer Linda Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or linda.ober@lee.net