Lewis Creek Association will be continuing its work with volunteers to tackle several non-native invasive plant removal projects in the Town Farm Bay (Charlotte) and LaPlatte River (Shelburne Bay) areas. With this year’s expanded efforts, we are looking for additional volunteers willing to step up and help! Our three projects are listed below with details about what would be involved in each. Please contact Program Coordinator Kate Kelly at lewiscreekorg@gmail.com or 488-5203 to get involved or with questions!
1) European Frogbit removal: Frogbit is a plant that grows on the surface of the water in both Town Farm Bay and Shelburne Bay. It is easily removed by kayaking or canoeing, and raking plants from the surface of the water into a basket on the boat. The plants are then discarded to dry out away from the water. You will need to be physically fit enough to get in and out of a boat, paddle, and use your upper body to rake in plants and lift them into a basket. We ask for a commitment of one or two picking dates in June, and possibly again in July. Each date is about 2-3 hours of picking. You can commit to as many or as few dates as you can make (we will set four dates in June and possibly four dates in July), and a coordinator will be there to give you instructions. You can choose your preferred location (Town Farm Bay or Shelburne Bay).
2) Flowering Rush study: Lewis Creek Association has been awarded a grant to study the best methods for removal of Flowering Rush in Town Farm Bay area. This project will hopefully tie in nicely with the Frogbit project, in that Frogbit volunteers (or others) can paddle to the treatment plot area, and perform some basic cutting of the plants to limit regeneration. However, this would be in addition to time Frogbit picking. We’d ask for Frogbit volunteers to also perform this task in Town Farm Bay, but if we don’t get enough people willing to do both, we would need additional volunteers for this project.
3) Yellow Iris removal: We will undertake mechanical treatment of Yellow Iris along Lewis Creek in North Ferrisburgh. This will be a more strenuous and physical field work than Frogbit picking. It will likely involve 8 volunteers for a 5 hour day, on a select day in June. We will be walking along shorelines (likely muddy, possibly rocky!) and doing physical work removing plants. Tentative date is June 8, 9 AM – 1 PM.
We promise a fun time out there! You will get the added benefit of knowing that, while paddling or walking and enjoying two beautiful areas, you are also doing something beneficial for our environment!