CharlotteNews:CharlotteConservationCurrents
ByLizHollenbach,
May17,2012,page17
Wanted:VolunteerLakePaddlersforShorelineWeeding
OnanearlyJunemorninglastsummer,LakeChamplainwascalm,theairclearandcool.It
wasaperfectmorningtobeoutonthewater.EightvolunteersandSueSmith,2011
volunteercoordinator,paddledintotheTownFarmBaywetland,astateheritagesite.The
chatterofamarshwrenandaredwingblackbirdwereheardalongtheshorelinewhile
aheadaVirginiarailwithchicksintowswamoutofthecattails.Abaldeaglesoared
overhead.
Inthebay,workersreachedoutovertheedgesoftheircanoesandkayaks,usinghandtools
topullfrogbitfromthewater’ssurfaceandcollectitinbuckets.Europeanfrogbit
(hydrocharismosrus‐ranae)isafloatingannualplantthatresemblesaquaticwaterlilies.It
isaninvasivespeciesfirstspottedinTownFarmBayin2007.Volunteershavebeen
removingfrogbiteverysummersincethen.
Afterseveralhoursharvestingfrogbitthevolunteergroupglidedtoshorewherethey
sharedsnacksandobservationsofwildlife.Newspecieswereaddedtothenaturelog.
Frogbit,afree‐floatingplantwithheart‐shapedleaves,formssmallwhiteflowerswith
threepetalsandayellowcenter.Theplantreproducesbydevelopingstolons,thickcord‐
likepiecesthatgrowoutfromthemainplant.Attachedtotheendofstolonsareturions,
smallbudsthatdropinthefall,settlingtothebottomofthewetlandtoreemergeinspring
andproduceanotherseason’splants.Plantgrowthisrapid,andaplantthatstartsathalfan
inchcangrowtoover40inchesineightweeks.Frogbitreproducesquicklybecauseasingle
plantproducesupto100turions;eachturioncangrowanewplant.
Largedensematsoffrogbitdecreaselightpenetrationintothewetlands,pushoutnative
species,changenitrogen,oxygenandothernutrientlevels,thusdecreasingnaturalwetland
biodiversity.Inshallowareas,decomposingfrogbitdecreasesthedissolvedoxygencontent
inthewater,disruptingnativeplantandanimallife.
AsthefifthlargestlakeinthecontinentalUnitedStatesitisimportanttomonitorLake
Champlain’shealth,removeinvasivespecies,andworktoprotectnativespecies.Thelakeis
avaluablehabitatforplantsandanimalsaswellasarecreationaljewel.
TownFarmBay,locatedatthesouthwestcornerofCharlotte,isoneofthetown’smost
significantenvironmentalassets.ThorpandKimballBrooksflowintothelakehereand
formalarge,diversewetland,providinghabitattobirds,mammalsandreptiles.Thesame
characteristicsthatdrawnativeplantsandanimalsherealsoprovideaprotectedareawith
slow‐movingwaterthatinvasivefrogbitplantsfindfavorable.
Now,startingitsfourthyear,thefrogbitprojectaimstocontinueremovingtheinvasive
planttomaintainthehealthanddiversityofthebayandwetland.PointBayMarinahas
activelysupportedtheprojectandbeeninvolvedsincethebeginning.Theproject’sfirst
threeyearsincludedbothpaidstaffandvolunteers,fundedbyLewisCreekAssociation,
stateandfederalfunds,whileaprivatelandownerhasgenerouslyofferedshorelineaccess
tocontinuethisannualwork.Overthistimefrogbitlevelshavebeenreducedandcannow
bemaintainedbyanall‐volunteercrewduringtheJuneandJulyharvestingseason.
VolunteersdeposittheweededfrogbitonascowthatPointBayMarinastaffregularlytows,
emptiesandcompoststhefrogbit.
Aspartoftheproject,volunteershavecreatedanaturalhistorylog,alistofplantsand
animalsspottedinthebay.Thelogincludes38typesofbirds,sevenmammals,tenreptiles,
twofishand31plants.Somehighlightsincludebeaverseatinglilyroots,muskratbuilding
homesofcattails,andpaintedturtlesrestingonafloatinglog.Detailsaboutthenatural
historylogareavailableatlewiscreek.org.
ReserveyourvolunteerspotintheFrogbitProjecttoday!
TheFrogbitProjectislookingfornewvolunteers.TheLewisCreekAssociationprovidesall
boats,equipmentandinstruction.StartinginearlyJune,crewsarepaddlingTuesday
mornings,ThursdaylateafternoonsandoccasionalSaturdays.It’sagreatwaytospend
timeonLakeChamplainandobservewildlife.Ifyouareinterestedinvolunteeringor
wouldlikemoreinformation,[email protected]‐1843.
Readtheoriginalarticlehere:
http://www.thecharlottenews.org/pages/charlotteconservationcurrents2690.html
