PCD’s Chris Towe maneuvers a tractor
with a mower attachment through a
wall of blackberries near South Prairie
Creek. Having the right tools can make
quick work of what might otherwise
seem a very daunting task!
Let’s cut to the chase: Preparing a
habitat restoration site is usually a
lot of work. Project areas have often
experienced varying degrees of disturbance
and alteration from their
original environment. Invasive weeds
almost always dominate the landscape.
Habitat degradation that has
transpired over the course of dozens
of years, we are asked to turn around
in just a year or two, sometimes less!
Coming up with an effective plan to
prepare a site for planting with native
plants requires balancing a number
of factors, including: budget, staff
and crew resources, what equipment
can access the site, is herbicide an
option, what issues do we need to deal
with (trash, soil compaction, types of
weeds), how much time do we have,
and so on. Sometimes we get to try
new techniques; sometimes we do the
best we can with what we have to
work with. We are constantly learning
from our successes, our failures,
and from the experiences of others.
When all is said and done, our goal is to
most efficiently and effectively prepare
a site for the best restoration success
possible. We try to eradicate, or at least
“knock down,” invasives to minimize
competition for water, nutrients,
and sunlight. We work to make sites
accessible and safe for volunteers and
others who will install the trees and
shrubs. We plan for how we’ll maintain
the site and prepare accordingly. We
want our new plants to flourish and
thrive, to turn that field of reed canary
grass, blackberries, knotweed (pick
your favorite invasive!) into a diverse
and complex plant community that
provides critical ecological benefits
to our streams, soils, and wildlife.