Spurge Laurel Purge

Day 299: I went out for a very short walk yesterday in our little county park, and was distressed to find that the Spurge Laurel (Daphne laureola) was alive and well. It's been several years since I found it and turned in a report to the Invasive Plant Council, and I would have thought the county would have taken care of it by now. However, this brought up another issue which has been bothering me for some time. In my personal contacts with various land managers in the area, I've been told several times that "we've never gotten any reports from the IPC." They've gone on to ask that I report directly to them instead, which I began doing with much better results. The land managers are grateful for the information and generally act swiftly when told about invasives in their domains. As I walked, these factors were brewing in my head, and as I came back into the parking area, I noticed a county worker spraying for blackberry on a hillside. I hailed him over and told him about the Spurge Laurel. He then took me to his supervisor, and the three of us went together so that I could show them where the plants were located. Once again, I was told that the county had never received a report of this noxious weed. It makes me wonder if any of my reports have ever been sent to the agencies involved. That said, the crew working in our little park assured me that there would be a Spurge Laurel purge as soon as they've done the research on how best to eradicate it.

Daphne Laureola, Spurge-laurel

Day 187: It's quite one thing to have knowledge of a plant's appearance from photographs and another to recognize it upon seeing it for the first time, moreso if it is in an unexpected location. With snow still on the ground but more Spring-like temperatures, I ventured out on an invasive species patrol in a local county park on Easter. I had not gone 25 yards up the paved trail until I stopped dead in my tracks. "Is that Spurge-laurel?" I said aloud. "Holy crap." I pushed a few blackberry briars aside to reach my target, took photos of it from several angles, both long shots and close-ups, and then just to be sure and despite a nagging memory that Spurge-laurel can cause contact dermatitis, I pinched off a six-inch flower-bearing sprig and popped it in my shirt pocket for further analysis. For the remainder of my mile-and-a-half walk, I kept waiting for my hand to start itching or to blister. When I got home a little over an hour later, I scrubbed my hands most vigorously. Apparently, I am not one of the unfortunates who reacts or else I did not get sufficient sap on my skin, but in very short order, I confirmed my suspicions: the plant was indeed Daphne laureola, a Class B invasive and poisonous even beyond skin irritation. Worse, I had found at least a dozen plants along the edge of a small wetland, and others may lie deeper into the woods. The Easter Bunny brings some people brightly coloured eggs. Me, he brings invasive plants. Thanks a lot, Bun.

A Day In The Life Of A Naturalist

Day 157: I bring you two unrelated photos today because...well, because the sun was shining and I actually got outdoors! It's been a long, wet winter. Of course the most exciting part of today was the return of Porch Parrots, i.e., Evening Grosbeaks. A female scout showed up yesterday and was followed today by two males. Once the flock arrives in full force, their appetites will be indulged throughout the summer, and they're likely to go through at least 500 pounds of black-oil sunflower seed. I simply *must* keep my Porchies happy!

Having done my duty by my avian friends, I set out for Pack Forest with GPS in hand thinking to do double duty, hiking and conducting a survey of invasive plants while I was at it. You want invasive species? I'll give you invasive species! Scotch Broom, English Ivy, English Holly, Foxglove and even a small handful of young Tansy Ragwort kept me busy. It took two hours just to write the report!

Reichard Award Recipient

Day 110: Some of my friends have already heard the news: yesterday, I was honoured with the Sarah Reichard "Hike the Extra Mile" award for my volunteer service with the Invasive Plant Council. It had been announced in an earlier email, and I expected it to go no further than that public recognition. Consequently, I was rendered speechless when I opened my snail-mail yesterday and found a handsome Amazon gift card enclosed.

Quoting from the email, "In 2016, the PNW IPC honors three outstanding volunteers...Collectively, these three conservation warriors conducted 77 surveys, reported 254 new invasive plant records, hiked 264 miles of trail and volunteered 433 hours of their time searching for, reporting and removing harmful invasive plants from wilderness and other natural areas!"

Dr. Reichard was the vice president of the Invasive Plant Council and taught at the University of Washington. She passed away last year while leading a botanical tour in South Africa. Again quoting from the email, "She was a passionate scientist who paved the way and created opportunities for women in science and worked diligently to solve complex problems in the important interdisciplinary field of Conservation Biology."

I am proud to have received this honour in her name.

Invasive Knapweeds Of Washington

Day 284: While driving along one of my accustomed routes in South Hill yesterday, my eye recognized flecks of lavender on a leggy, three-foot diameter plant with sparse pale greyish-green foliage. By the time I had uttered the words, "Dammit! Was that Knapweed?" the car had travelled about 100 yards, and I found myself looking at a monoculture covering a quarter-acre of open field. I couldn't stop safely, so continued on to finish my shopping, and on the way back, I parked a little ways away and made a patrol on foot. I was horrified at what I found. Although the quarter acre was the most densely covered by this invasive, I could see mounds of it throughout an acre or more of county/private property. I suspect it has been there for years, and I never noticed it because I never caught it in the flowering stage. I took coordinates and filed a report with the Invasive Plant Council, although with the Knapweeds listed as "Class B" weeds, the landowners are not required to control the infestation. It is precisely that short-sighted thinking which makes the campaign against invasive species so frustrating. Education is currently the most important tool we have to stop the spread of Class B invasives. More information and free pamphlets can be obtained through the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board. Click the "Resources" tab.

Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) is the second species of Knapweed I have found in Pierce County in 2016. Earlier this year, I was conducting a training for the IPC on the Bud Blancher Trail and discovered Meadow Knapweed, a related species. To date, the Town of Eatonville has not seen fit to control it, and when I checked on it two weeks ago, it was beginning to go to seed. The two species can be differentiated by looking at the tips of the bracts under a magnifying glass if you're curious (the fringes are "fringier" on C. jacea x nigra), but in any case, any Knapweed you happen to find should be regarded as the enemy.

Invasive Alert - Meadow Knapweed

Day 261: Recently, the Invasive Plant Council asked me to lead an introductory walk for new members, and after some discussion of potential locations, we settled on Eatonville's Bud Blancher Trail with the option of continuing into Pack Forest. Since I walk Bud Blancher quite frequently in the winter months as part of the Park's fitness challenge, I expected that the trainees would find very little (if anything) to report. I figured we'd practice by taking GPS readings on ivy, holly and Stinky Bob (Herb Robert). Since these species are so prevalent, we don't include them in our surveys unless there's a good possibility that they can be controlled easily by the land manager for the area, except to make a note in our reports that they are present.

Due to the distance from urban centers, I only had one trainee sign up for my walk: a young botanist/teacher from Puyallup. I arrived on site early, and while I was waiting for him to arrive, I noticed something purple growing at the top of the berm beside the trail. It was obviously not a thistle, so I climbed up for a better look. Aaaaggghhhh! Meadow Knapweed! There were several instances of it along a little side-trail on city property, so when Ian arrived, I announced that we could start the day off with a "positive," i.e., we'd found an infestation. As we walked down the first half-mile of the trail, we found several more occurrences, including one patch about 40' in diameter.

Meadow Knapweed (Centaurea debeauxii) is a hybrid of two other species of knapweed, Centaurea jacea x nigra (Brown Knapweed and Black Knapweed). There are eight species on the list of invasives in Washington. They are best controlled by using a combination of techniques to prevent their spread. Pulling is often not enough and must be followed by chemical treatment. However, if you see knapweeds on your property, pull them from the base and bag them to prevent the heads from going to seed.

Paddling Tilton River Canyon

Day 298: I can't tell this story without prefacing it with a rant against Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's extortionate fee system, because it very nearly ended this adventure before it could begin. When I arrived at the "public" boat ramp (I use the word "public" with tongue firmly in cheek), I came up against a sign advising me that if I wanted to launch my little craft, it would cost me an additional $7. The extra charge was tacked onto the $35 I'd paid for my Discover Pass, a permit which apparently only allows me to sit in my car in the parking lot looking wistfully at the water. This is the second time I've encountered a surcharge when I had nothing but a $20 in my purse and was not inclined to backtrack 10-30 miles to get change. In the first place, I resent having to have a Discover Pass and/or a Northwest Forest Pass to enter the woods half a mile on either side of my home. Fortunately, I am exempt from also having to purchase a National Parks pass, or I would be restricted entirely to pavement. Luckily, I was able to track down a semi-official person in the State Park campground who pointed me at the "day use" area where I could launch my kayak free of charge, although I'd have to wheel it about 300 yards. Wheel it I did, bump-bump-bump down the concrete steps at the swimming beach. That 300 yards was harder on my shoulders than the nine miles of kayaking which followed. As for WDFW, they have got the last cent out of me they'll ever see, except for my fishing licence. The Discover Pass is a masterpiece of false advertising, and I won't make the mistake of purchasing it again.

Now for the trip...I'd heard from one of our Park volunteers that the Tilton River Canyon was a fantastic kayak trip. I had seen it from above while walking the trail, and it did indeed look very enticing with its fern-covered walls and milky blue-green water. However, walking the trail gave me little sense of how far up the river I might be able to go. I expected to get quite a bit farther than I did. After being forced to get out and walk on three occasions, about two miles up, I hit the final obstacle: a small rapids I couldn't pass without portaging the 'yak, and I could see another larger one a tenth of a mile further on.

Upon turning back, my adventure took on a different mission when I noticed Spotted Knapweed (a "hit list" invasive) on the river bar. I had my GPSr with me, so I put in to take coordinates and photos so that I could report it to the Invasive Plant Council. While trying to determine the extent of the affected area, I also discovered Buddleia, Tansy Ragwort and acres of Japanese Knotweed. When I got home, I mapped the infestation. It's all on State Park land. The one good note I can inject here is that the Tansy was being devoured by Cinnabar Moth caterpillars, a biologic control introduced a decade or two ago which has had a good success rate (but maybe not here).

Because I'd had to turn back earlier than expected, I was feeling rather disappointed. I made a couple of loops around the island opposite the swimming beach, put in at a 20' x 30' knob of rock and dirt in the middle of the river and had lunch, and then decided to do it all over again! Back up to the rapids I went, and on the second pass, I was able to find a channel which didn't require getting out and dragging the 'yak through the shallows. I also saw some whopping big fish, and was kicking myself for having left the rod behind. Oh, well. I'll have another chance before my present Discover Pass expires, and now I know how to get around that stinking surcharge. $7 just to put a kayak in the water? Get real.

New Duties

Day 215 (Part B): After attending a training session and filling out the paperwork, I am proud to say that I am now a registered volunteer with the Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council. It is our purpose to monitor public lands for the spread of invasive species, to document them photographically or take specimens for documentation purposes, to eliminate them when possible and safe to do so, to contact land managers when infestations require serious intervention or when hazards such as contact poisons may occur.

There are currently thirty species of particular concern in Washington. Not all occur in any given area. Some are aquatic, but most are terrestrial species such as Giant Hogweed, Knotweeds, Yellow Archangel and Tansy Ragwort.

There are three classifications for invasive plants. Washington State law dictates that Class A noxious plants must be controlled by land owners and managers. Control mandates for Class B weeds vary from county to county depending on the degree of infestation. Class C invasives are species are those for which control is recommended but not mandatory. This is not to say that all invasive plants are on the State's list. Far from it! Some such as Scotch Broom and Herb Robert are considered to be beyond possibility of control.

Check your state or county Weed Control Board for the steps you can take to eradicate invasive weeds, or join a group like the Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council. Let's stop the spread!