Boy Scouts Troop 192 of Davisburg recently completed an Autumn Olive Removal project at Holly State Recreation Area.
The project involved hand cutting and removing Autumn Olive, an invasive, non-native species, from a long tract of pristine conifers.
‘It’s unbelievable, the difference,? said Park Officer Tony Schutz. ‘You guys did a great job. Before the project , you could barely see the lower part of the pines, some of the olive bushes were over 20 feet high. Now the pine grove is accessible. It’s going to make a big, big difference. If we let these invasive species go, they will eventually choke out the pines and everything else as well. You guys did an awesome job.?
Autumn Olive overtakes open space and shades the ground, diminishing the capacity of native species to grow. The bush grows faster than many native shrubs and tends to leaf-out before native plant species, thereby shading emerging native plant species. The bushes become so dense they can even block out the pathways of large animals. Invasives significantly reduce plant biodiversity and can be a severe threat to stability and sustainability of ecosystems.
A second part of the project involved scouts dragging cut branches across the road to make brushpile, creating wildlife habitats for birds and small mammals like rabbits.
‘This is just excellent. I love it,? said Park Supervisor Shawn Speaker. ‘We had a lot of invasive species starting to grow on the perimeter of this pristine coniferous set right here, and we want to keep it pristine, we didn’t want the invasive species to start encroaching and start choking these trees off at base level. So this is great.?
This project, spearheaded by scout Samuel Ekstrom, was sponsored by the Clinton Valley Council/Pontiac-Manitou district’s Conservation Committee in conjunction with Holly State Recreation Area.
Ekstrom is working on his personal Hornaday Conservation Award Project and is contributing towards Troop 192 earning its first Hornaday Unit Award.
Dr. William T. Hornaday, then director of the New York Zoological Park, initiated the Hornaday Conservation Award program in 1914 in an effort to inspire scouts to work constructively for conservation.
‘We had a great conservation project, a nice campground, and thanks to the National Trails Day Festival, there were plenty of activities available for the kids,? said Gary Maley, Troop 192 scoutmaster.
‘It was a great experience.?
For more information, visit www.bsatroop192.awardspace.com.