Indiana Invasive Species Awareness Week - Day 4
SICIM Email
What Is There to Celebrate?
with Negative Nancy (no offense to Nancy’s)
aka Amber Slaughterbeck, SICIM West Central Regional Specialist
Yes, that is sometimes how we all show up to the conversation about invasive species. I mean what is there to celebrate? Let us count the ways.
Strengthening sense of community and place
Over the past few years of the Indiana Invasives Initiative project we have witnessed a tremendous sense of community that was brightly sustained like a fire through a long, cold night, even strengthened, while faced with a pandemic. Locked away in our homes we rallied around our computer screens to continue the conversation. And can we get a round of applause for the platform Zoom? The phone calls, Facebook and Instagram posts, text messages, landowner survey requests, and the emails increased because you care about your community and your land. We even sparked a “Virtual Weed Wrangle” movement together to safely continue our efforts of eradicating invasives. Our minds came together to figure out how to best serve the needs of our groups/CISMAs and our communities, while battling the uncertainty of COVID-19. We masked up and we carried on together.
Native Plant Sales, oh my!
A small nursery outside of Paris, IL called Barkley Farms Nurseries was THE place to shop for native plants in West - Central Indiana. Sure, you could find a few sprinkling of native plants at the hometown nursery, but the guesswork created boundaries and simply forced your hand to buy what was pretty and available. Not anymore. The Terrestrial Plant Rule is now enforceable, removing 44 invasive plants from the nurseries. Including my absolute nemesis, Japanese barberry. In addition, local Soil and Water Conservation Districts are offering native plant sales all over the state. Indiana Native Plant Society hosts an active list on their website of where you can purchase native plants in person or by mail. In short, you do not have to travel across state lines to buy native plants any longer!
Landowner Connections
The beginning is always the most overwhelming, but you must start somewhere. Proper identification of plants present, infestation size, habitat, and goals are the boxes to check. We will help at no cost. When you sign up for a landowner survey with a Regional Specialist you are handed a management plan to follow from the beginning. And if you’re midstream that’s ok too. The management plan will line out all the invasive plants and the proper techniques to remove them. But it’s more than that. Our team is building connections across the state that will last a lifetime. Together we are restoring the landscape to its true beauty.
Accountability
We have planted some harmful, aggressive, and overall “junky” plants over the years. We know this every spring when the green wall begins and the white flowering trees (Callery pear and all its children) bloom in every ditch, pasture, ROW, roadside and yes, our yards. Admitting that invasive plants (even pretty ones) need to be ripped out can be a hurdle. Together we are all battling non-native plants that at some point were encouraged or promoted as a great species for wildlife, pasture, fencerows, and your garden. The blame game gets us nowhere…and you all have recognized this by witness of your efforts. We are holding ourselves accountable for our own land. Together we are making a difference where and whenever possible. A few hours at a Weed Wrangle or a few hours on our yard all add up. Keep chipping away!
You have a lot to be proud of!
- Amber
Stay tuned throughout the week to see more highlights of CISMAs or other partners and their efforts for improved land management. Be sure to visit the Indiana Invasives Initiative linktree to read more and find events in your area.
