Throughout the field season, the Invasives Strike Force (ISF) Crew travels all around our region protecting natural areas from the threats posed by invasive plants. This year's focus for the Conservation Corps Crew in New York will be on some of the statewide priority species, including sapphireberry, kudzu, hardy kiwi, and Scotch broom. These species are spread out across the Lower Hudson PRISM region, though many of the populations are concentrated in certain areas. Sapphireberry, for example, is largely concentrated in Westchester County as well as a few locations in Dutchess County. There’s a large infestation of hardy kiwi spanning multiple properties near Bedford, N.Y. that the crew will be hitting hard this year. We will also be working with the Conservation Dogs Program to knock back Scotch broom, which has popped up all over Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks. The volunteer-led ISF Crew in New Jersey will also be taking on invasive removal projects this year in South Mountain and High Point State Park, focusing on removing both common invasives (mainly barberry and multiflora rose) and emerging invasive plants like Siebold's and linden viburnum, oriental photinia, and glossy buckthorn. Volunteer Crew Leader, Rich Rockwell, will be working with the Regional Trails Council to identify additional invasive removal projects in New Jersey this year as well. Want to play a part and see what a day in the life of the crew is like? Volunteers in years past have expressed many reasons for coming out to join us from wanting to learn more about the plants they are seeing on their hikes, to preventing our trails from being overrun with invasive vegetation, to just simply desiring the exercise. Whatever reason first brought them there, most leave the day feeling fulfilled and inspired to do more! This year, we will be hosting volunteer workdays on select weekends throughout the field season, May through October. Volunteers can help with a variety of tasks including scouting the area, pulling or cutting plants, or helping keep track of data. Although this year's volunteer dates are still to be determined, we will advertise any upcoming volunteer workday opportunities on the Trail Conference events page as well as through our Stewardship newsletters, so keep an eye out! In the meantime, if you'd like to learn more, have any questions or want to express initial interest in joining us this year, please click the button below to fill out a volunteer interest form.
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