Volunteers and organizers from the Atlantic Wildlife Institute in Cookville, NB teamed up with the Nature Conservancy of Canada this weekend to pluck, pull and cut an invasive plant from the property.
It was muggy and the bugs were biting as about 10 volunteers waged their annual battle against the glossy buckthorn. The tree was introduced to Canada about 100 years ago, according to the Nature Conservancy of Canada website.
Its seeds are spread by birds and it can cover large areas, making it difficult for other species to thrive.
“They can choke out a lot of the … native species in the area really quickly. And so it changes the whole dynamic of the ecosystem,” said Pam Novak, director of the Wildlife Care Institute.
Glossy buckthorn was introduced to Canada about 100 years ago. (Submitted by Pam Novak)
Novak said that even when the roots are pulled out of the ground, glossy buckthorn still finds a way to shoot its stems back.
“We can see areas that we had cut last year that the seedlings are already pushing up and they are already knee high. So it comes back very quickly. So it’s a matter of just keeping it down and stopping it from progressing,” she said.
Volunteers who helped with the eradication effort took a crash course in recognizing the plant and understanding the damage it causes.
“You know, when we do a little workshop like this … it helps raise awareness that there are a lot of plant species in our environment that can do serious damage to our native flora and fauna,” Novak said.
“They will find a way to grow back”
Caroline Blakely of the Nature Conservancy, the annual cull has somewhat reduced the glossy buckthorn’s grip on the area, the invasion is likely to continue for years to come.
“Unless you physically remove the roots, and even if you do, they still find a way to grow back by moving their little pieces all over the place,” she said.
Working with volunteers to control invasive species isn’t easy work, she said, but it’s definitely rewarding.
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