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,pleasecontactlizhollenbach@hotmail.com.or922‐1843.

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http://www.thecharlottenews.org/pages/charlotteconservationcurrents2690.html