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SIERRANCentral Iowa Group Newsletter
Central Iowa
Spring/Summer 2012
About 18 months have passed since the Iowa Wildlife Center’s Executive Director, Marlene Ehresman first introduced Central Iowa Sierrans to the Center in the Group’s Autumn 2010 newsletter. And what an exciting, eventful ride it’s been since then, in no small way, thanks to the continuous support of this Group and its members! Here’s a quick recap (for a refresher, visit iowa.sierraclub.org/ciag/CIGAutumn2010). The Iowa Wildlife Center (IWC) is building a wildlife hospital and education center on its 75 acres of land, called WildWay, which is located in Boone County near the Ledges State Park. Once it is fully operational, it will fulfill its mission of providing professional wildlife rescue, medical treatment and rehabilitation of native wildlife in central Iowa; teaching about wildlife and habitat stewardship; and providing wildlife assistance skills training. A few post-Sierran article accomplishments include attaining IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit status; completing initial habitat stewardship projects at WildWay; acquiring the title to WildWay from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, which brokered the original purchase on IWC’s behalf; moving into an office on Main Street in Ames; and raising a $25,000 matching donation through the successful “Raise the Ribs” campaign. That $50,000 enabled the IWC to begin construction of its first building in late summer 2011. Ultimately, this steel-arch building will be used for maintenance and storage, but in the immediate future, while the Center is being built, it will also be used for educational programs and IWC’s Baby Birds and Bats Rehabilitation Program. Tremendous progress has already been made on the building, which will be completed this spring and early summer when good weather and volunteer schedules blend nicely. PowerFilm, Inc. of Ames is giving IWC a great energy boost by creating a photo voltaic solar energy system that they will install on the building, all pro bono. And extraordinarily generous donors, led by Mark Widrlechner, created the Sherry Dragula Family Fund with a $10,000 contribution in memory of Mark’s wife, Sherry, to provide a view through the windows and solar tubes. Beyond the tangible progress being made, and equally as important, is the educational work IWC is already doing within the community. This is a result of organizations and schools requesting wildlife educational presentations, a critical need that staff meets as often as possible. And the IWC is already
The Iowa Wildlife Center – The Journey Continues!By Colleen Hamilton, IWC Communication Coordinator
taking in a steady stream of requests for assistance and referrals from people wanting to help a wild animal in need – all before we’re even officially open for business! Finally, with support from other like-minded partnering organizations, the IWC is pleased to offer an exceptional line-up of family-friendly events in 2012. Watch http://www.iowawildlifecenter.org/ for the upcoming Year of the Bat event in April; the BioBlitzes, taking place May, June, and September; and the 2nd Annual High Trestle Hawk Watch in October. The IWC was born thanks to the generosity and foresight of many committed, caring people, and its continuous success will depend on them as well.
Please visit http://www.iowawildlifecenter.org/ to learn more, to volunteer, or to donate!
R2G2: River Run Garbage GrabDate to be announced on River Steward’s website at a later date.
Central Iowa Sierra Group needs volunteers to act as hosts at Yellow Banks County Park along the Des Moines River. It is a fun day welcoming boaters and being part of the logistics team. To help host, contact Phyllis at 274-4319 or [email protected] River Run Garbage Grab (R2G2) website is under construction for 2012. You can view photos, find locations of last year’s event at www.riverstewards.org . To help in this award winning river clean up, pre-registration on the website will begin around June, or email Phyllis to get your name on her list at anytime.
Moulton 5th Graders get OUTSIDE!!! With Sierra ScholarshipsBy Carolyn Uhlenhake
Richard Louv, author of The Last Child in the Woods, spoke recently at the Sierra Club. He said more adults need to understand the importance of nature in children’s lives and act on it. “By learning how effective nature can be in the promotion of children’s health and well being as well as cognitive functioning”, we can all be involved in some way with getting kids outdoors. Sierra Club of Central Iowa does this by providing several scholarships to 5th graders at Moulton Elementary for Outdoor Education Camp. Many of these kids don’t spend much time outdoors. When they first get to camp, they hear them, especially the girls, screaming when they see a spider crawling near their bunkbeds. Within 24 hours of being at camp, however, they are asking the teachers if we can all stay at camp longer! Moulton Elementary ten year olds have been going to camp for 18 years. For three days and two nights, they spend 12-14 hours a day outside involved constantly with different aspects of nature. Students, teachers, and parent chaperones are busy hiking, learning what makes up a prairie, creek walking and testing the quality of the water, and studying rocks and fossils. One of the favorite activities we do is called “special place time”. At the beginning of camp, each student is assigned a nature area where they have to spend quiet time alone listening, observing, and then journaling about their observations and thoughts. At first students are leery about being out in the “wilderness” alone, but after a few times we teachers hear, “Can we go to our secret places soon?” We also do some of the regular fun camp activities like canoeing, archery, and camp fires. Bill, the camp
science teacher, gives an astronomy lesson at night if the sky is clear. One of our educational themes is the study of Native Americans. Through research projects, books, speakers, and videos we learn about the tribes of the Midwest. Students are also required to read ten Native American legends and then create their own legend which they will tell at the campfire on one of the evenings. With budget cuts, the fifth graders spend most of the school year making money for the trip. For several years now, the Sierra Club of Central Iowa has been helping the Moulton kids reach their goal of $3000 by contributing several scholarships for the students. On behalf of all those fifth graders and teachers, we wish to say thank you so much to the Sierra Club of Central Iowa!
New OfficersPlease welcome Karen Tigges as the new chair of the Central Iowa chapter. Karen has served on the Executive Committee as our secretary for many years. Also, a huge thank you to out-going chair Jane Clark, who is now the secretary for this committee.
Long-eared ow
Central Iowa SIERRAN SubmissionsThe Central Iowa Sierran is published three times a year. We invite submissions of letters, articles, photographs and illustrations. Deadlines are March 5 for the Spring/Summer issue: July 5 for the Autumn/Winter issue; and November 5 for the Winter issue. Preference will be given to articles relating to the Central Iowa Group. The editors reserve the right to edit for clarity, space and for libel reasons. All submissions must have name, address, and phone number. Submissions may be sent to Phyllis Goodman. Call 274-4319 for submission address. Electronic submission of articles is preferred [email protected]. Hard copy submissions should be written neatly or double spaced typed.
Central Iowa SIERRAN Winter 2011/12Page 2
CENTRAL IOWA SIERRA CLUB SPRING/SUMMER 2012 CALENDARPLEASE CALL THE OUTING LEADER IF YOU PLAN TO GO ON ANY OUTINGS. This helps the outing leader plan and alerts you to possible changes. Everyone, including non-members, is welcome to attend programs and outings. Children are also welcome to attend with their parents or caretakers unless otherwise indicated by the outing leader. In order to participate in an outing, you (or your parent or guardian if under 18) will need to sign a liability waiver. To read a copy of the waiver, please call 415-977-5630. Carpooling on outings is encouraged but is strictly a private arrangement among participants, and participants assume all risks associated with such travel. All telephone numbers in this listing are area code 515 unless otherwise indicated.
APRIL EVENTSMONDAYS — Invasive Species RemovalVolunteer at Yellow Banks County Park for invasive species removal beginning in April every Monday night at 6 p.m. Meet at the maintenance shed just inside the park and wear heavy work shoes or boots, sturdy gloves, long sleeves and long pants. Difficulty level: moderate. Contact Penny at 262-1224 to sign up or to check on weather conditions.
SATURDAY, APRIL 21: HIKE, 10:30 AMLedges State Park — Earth Day Hike — Celebrate Sierra Club founder John Muir’s birthday the day before Earth Day by walking and hiking at Ledges State Park south of Boone. In the Des Moines area, meet in the parking lot of Cracker Barrel restaurant at 10:30 AM for the 40 minute drive to Ledges. Cracker Barrel is located in the northwest corner of the intersection of University Avenue and I-80/35 in Clive. Dress for conditions, bring water and a snack and wear sturdy shoes or boots. Those who wish to meet at Ledges could gather in the upper parking lot just inside the park entrance at 11:15 AM. Difficulty lever: moderate to difficult. Contact Jane at [email protected] or 223-5047 for information. TUESDAY WEEKLY HIKES BEGIN Sierra Club Tuesday Evening Hikes resume on April 17. Hikes are held at a different location each week around the Greater Des Moines Area, begin at 6:30 p.m., and end around 8 p.m. This is a great way to get to know hiking areas you may have never visited, or to revisit old favorite trails. For all hikes, please contact the hike leader to sign up each week so you can get directions and be notified if there is any change in plans. You may request to be placed on an email list to be notified of each week’s hike and any changes by contacting Jane at [email protected] . Difficulty level is usually easy to moderate. Hiking boots or sturdy walking shoes are recommended, as are light weight long pants, mosquito repellent and water. Bring rain gear whenever the weather suggests a chance of rain.
TUESDAY, APRIL 17: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Brown’s Woods Preserve County Park — Meet in the Brown’s Woods parking area at 6:30 p.m. to hike the long loop. To reach the park, take 63rd St. in West Des Moines till you reach Brown’s Woods Drive, turn west and go about a half-mile, turn right into the parking lot. Difficulty level: moderate to difficult, hilly terrain. Contact George at 745-7563 for information. As always, boots are recommended for these steep hills. We are likely to get off-trail a very short duration.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18: PROGRAM, 7:00 P.M.Turtle Farm Cohousing Community — Turtle Farm Cohousing Community (TFCC) is a project planned for a farm at Granger, Iowa. Cohousing is innovative in areas of community, sustainable living, and preservation. The goal is to preserve Turtle farm by creating a model of a diverse, sustainable cohousing community on a portion of the property. This relates not only to food production and dispersal, but also animal life, soil life, trees and plants, aesthetics and stewardship. Daily tasks of the village will be shared, each contributing their particular talents and skills. The program will be presented by organizers of the community including Angela & John Tedesco, Nancy Rambo and Donald Bustell, and Carol & Tim Kruse. Central Iowa Sierra public programs are held at Northwest Community Center, 51st Street and Franklin Avenue in Des Moines. Contact Jane at 223-5047 or [email protected] for more information.
TUESDAY, APRIL 24: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Big Creek State Park — Meet at Casey’s on the south side of Polk City just east of the Mile Long Bridge. We will travel to the entrance of Big Creek State Park where there is a parking lot. Difficulty level: easy. Contact Jackie at 577-0375 with questions.
SATURDAY, APRIL 28: 9:00-11:30 a.m.Garlic Mustard Pull, Ashworth ParkHelp pull this invasive plant that can crowd out desirable native understory plants on the wooded hillsides. Meet at 9 a.m. in the trailhead parking lot at the end of 45th Street south of Grand Ave. Suggested clothing: long pants and sleeves, and gloves. We will provide bags. Contact Jo at 276-6359 or [email protected] for more information.
MAY EVENTSTUESDAY, MAY 1: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Margo Frankel Woods State Park — Margo Frankel Woods is a good place to find wildflowers and welcome spring. Follow NE 2nd Street (Hwy 415) about 2 miles north of I-80/35. Margo Frankel Woods is on the east side of the road, just south of NW 66th Ave. We will meet at 6:30 in the parking lot. Contact Peggy at 285-6864 or [email protected] for information. Difficulty: moderate, hilly terrain.
TUESDAY, MAY 8: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.T h o m a s M i t c h e l l Wi l d f l o w e r H i k e — Meet at in front of Okoboji Grill in Copper Creek shopping area in Pleasant Hill. Contact Jackie at 577-0375 for more information. Difficulty: moderate, hilly terrain.
TUESDAY, MAY 15: 6:30 P.M.Birding and Wildflower Walk, Walnut Woods State Park — For a bird hike/nature walk, meet in the picnic area at the circle drive found inside the east entrance to the park. Bring binoculars and wear appropriate footwear! Contact Jane at [email protected] or 223-5047 for more information. Difficulty: easy.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16: 7:00P.M.The Tomorrow Plan — The Tomorrow Plan is a regional planning effort focused on the sustainable development of Greater Des Moines. It involves residents and local leaders in identifying visions and aspirations for the region, exploring potential scenarios for its future, and setting a preferred direction for sustainable future development. The Tomorrow Plan brings together all 17 cities and four counties of the Greater Des Moines metro along with a number of other public and private entities to map the path to a sustainable future for our region. The Metropolitan Planning Organization secured initial funding of $2 million for this project through the federal Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program. A major goal of The Tomorrow Plan is to engage a wide range of people in meaningful public participation — each and every citizen of the Greater Des Moines region should be involved in shaping the area’s future. Check out the comprehensive website at http://www.dmampo.org/. A representative from the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization will be presenting an update on this plan. Central Iowa Sierra public programs are held at Northwest Community Center, 51st Street and Franklin Avenue in Des Moines. Contact Jane at 223-5047 or [email protected] for more information about the program.
TUESDAY, MAY 22: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Clive Greenbelt Trail — Meet at the Clive City Hall parking lot on 114th Street to hike the Clive Greenbelt — this street can be reached from Hickman Road or University Ave., and it is located just east of I-80/35. We may stick to the paved trail if it’s been rainy, but boots are highly recommended! Deer, hawks and many songbirds can all be seen along the trail and Walnut Creek. Level: easy to moderate. Contact George at 745-7563 for information and/or directions.
TUESDAY, MAY 29: HIKE, 6:15 P.M.Annett Nature Center Park Hike (note earlier starting time) — Join us for a hike in Warren County that will include prairie grasses and wildflowers, a wetland, woodlands, and a trail around a lake. This
is also one of the sites where osprey chicks are being reintroduced in Iowa. Meet at 6:15 at the northeast corner of Southridge Mall (by Midwest Mattress and Petco) to carpool. Difficulty level: easy to moderate. Contact Peggy at 285-6864 or [email protected] for information. No dogs, please.
JUNE EVENTSTUESDAY, JUNE 5: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Maffitt Reservoir — Meet at the west entrance to Maffitt Lake for a hike through the park and around the lake. As always, boots, water and bug repellent are recommended. Difficulty level: moderate. Contact Jackie at 577-0375 for information and/or directions.
TUESDAY, JUNE 12: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Raccoon River Park — Meet in the parking lot at the Lodge at Raccoon River Park in West Des Moines to walk around Blue Heron Lake. This hike will be a little over 3 miles and will take about an hour. Please contact Karen at 865-8773 for more information. Difficulty level: easy.
SATURDAY, JUNE 16: BICYCLE RIDE, 10:00 A.M. — High Trestle Trail Bike Ride — High Trestle Trail ride from Madrid to Woodward and back, crossing over the Des Moines River on the High Trestle Bridge. We’ll start from Jensen Park* in Madrid at 10:00 A.M. Directions to the park: Take Hwy. 141 to Granger to pick up Hwy. 17. Come north on Hwy. 17 into Madrid. Turn left (E) onto E. 6th Street (at the Vet Clinic.) Go about 1/2 mile to S. Main Street. Turn right (N) on Main St. Go to W. 3rd and Main. The park is on your right. FOOD: We can eat lunch back at the park after the ride. Bring a sandwich and a snack to share if you want to. THE RIDE: Bring a water bottle. Helmets are required. It may take an hour to make the drive, unload bikes, etc., so please plan accordingly so we can start at 10:00. The ride will take about an hour, and anyone who wants to ride further is certainly welcome to. Difficulty: easy to moderate. *Jensen Park is a small jewel-like park next to City Hall. It contains a gazebo, playground equipment for young children, beautiful gardens, large shade trees, benches, and a drinking fountain. Contact Ginger at 253-0232 or [email protected] with questions.
TUESDAY, JUNE 19: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Neal Smith Trail at Morning Star Drive — Meet at the small gravel parking lot alongside NW Morningstar as it changes its name from NW 26th Street north of Des Moines on the east side of the Des Moines River for a hike along the Neal Smith Trail. This parking lot is a short distance south of the I-80/35 overpass on NW26th. Reach this lot from either Morningstar Drive from the south or NW 26th Street from the north. The entrance will be marked with party balloons that night. We will hike north or south on the paved Neal Smith Recreation Trail. Difficulty level: easy. Contact George at 745-7563 for information and/or directions. TUESDAY, JUNE 26: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Jester County Park — We will take advantage of several of the hiking trails that Jester County Park in northwest Polk County has to offer. Meet at the parking lot just inside the park entrance at 6:30 p.m. Contact Jackie at 577-0375 for information and/or directions. Difficulty: moderate.
JULY EVENTSTUESDAY, JULY 10: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Water Works Park — Meet at the popular wooden footbridge which is located less than a mile inside the park from the entrance. From there we can cross the bridge and the Raccoon River and hike along the trails. Contact Etta at 778-3495 for more information. Difficulty level: easy.
(continued page 3)
Central Iowa SIERRANWinter 2011/12 Page 3
Central Iowa Group Directory
(See directory in Chapter newsletter for state and national information)
Chair, Karen Tigges 274-0545Secretary, Jane Clark 223-5047Vice Chair, Phyllis Goodman 274-4319Treasurer, Ginger Soelberg 253-0232Membership Chair, Phyllis Goodman 274-4319Conservation Chair, Jo Hudson 276-6359Fundraising Chair, Ginger Soelberg 253-0232ExCom Members: Donna Balzer 285-7787 Carol Grimm 278-4057 Sandy Simmons 288-1811 Managing Editor, Phyllis Goodman 274-4319Layout Editor, Teri Peterson 223-8104
http://iowa.sierraclub.org/ciag/ Webmaster, Mary Ann Hynes:
TUESDAY, JULY 17: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Summerset State Park — Meet at Summerset State Park south of Des Moines at 6:30 p.m. The park is five miles south of Des Moines on Highway 69. There is a posted sign pointing east. Meet at the public restrooms just inside the park gates. This hike will take approximately 60 minutes on a level trail. This is a great open-air outing, as opposed to within deep woods — great views of a couple of separate lakes. Difficulty level: easy to moderate. Contact George at 745-7563 for information and/or directions.
TUESDAY, JULY 24: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge — The hike will be at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City. Meet in the parking lot of the refuge’s Prairie Learning Center at 6:30 p.m. Hike the Tallgrass Trail to catch glimpses of butterflies and songbirds among the summer prairie blooms. Afterward, take an optional drive through the bison range to perhaps see these large prairie inhabitants. Difficulty level: easy to moderate. Contact Peggy at 285-6864 or [email protected] for information.
TUESDAY, JULY 31: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Polk City Five Bridge — Meet at Casey’s on the south side of Polk City just east of the Mile Long Bridge. We will travel to the entrance of Big Creek State Park where there is a parking lot. From there, we will get on the recreation trail where there are five wooden bridges running along Big Creek Lake and Saylorville Lake. The trail is paved and mostly wooded, and the hike will take about 90 minutes. Contact Jackie at 577-0375 to let her know you’re coming. Difficulty level: easy to moderate.
AUGUST EVENTSTUESDAY, AUGUST 7: HIKE, 6:30 P.M.Greenwood Park/Rose Garden — Meet in the Greenwood Park parking lot just off Grand Avenue on the west side of Des Moines Art Center. First we’ll hike to the famous Rose Garden. Then we’ll go south and west toward Walnut Creek and maybe to the small railroad trestle along the Bill Riley Trail — returning to the Rose Garden 90-minutes later. Usual bug repellant or long pants please. Difficulty level: moderate to difficult. Contact George at 745-7563 for information and/or directions. TUESDAY, AUGUST 14: HIKE, 7:00 P.M.Sand Hill Prairie, Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt(note later starting time) — Meet at 7:00 P.M. in the Sand Hill Prairie parking lot on 118th Ave. off Hwy. 65/330 in northeast Polk County. After hiking on prairie paths viewing the variety of grasses and forbs, we will linger to watch the moon rise over the prairie. Difficulty level: easy to moderate. Please RSVP to Ginger at 253.0232 or [email protected] for directions or to carpool.
River Run Garbage Grab (R2G2), AUGUST Date to Be Announced —Volunteer for this annual Des Moines River clean-up. Partake in the annual “R2G2” event beginning at 9 a.m. The Central Iowa Sierra Group will host a take-out site on the banks of the lovely Yellow Banks County Park. It is a great way to spend the day or a few hours helping trash pickin’ boaters come back ashore. See the website www.riverstewards.org (note: website may not be up for 2012 until later in the summer.) For more information or to volunteer at our site contact Phyllis at [email protected] or 274-4319.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 21: HIKE, 6:00 P.M.Woodland Mounds State Preserve (note earlier starting time) — The unique qualities of this beautiful wooded ridge above South River located 8 miles east of Indianola have been recognized by inhabitants of this area for thousands of years. Woodland Mounds Preserve contains 185 acres of timber that provides habitat for many types of woodland wildlife and it is a recognized Important Bird Area by Iowa Audubon. This park is also host to the largest Mulberry Tree in the state! There are miles of hiking trails and a series of Woodland Indian mounds. Meet at the HyVee
parking lot in Pleasant Hill at 6:00 p.m.. We will carpool from there. Contact Penny at [email protected] for information.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 31: 7:00 P.M. FUNDRAISING HIKE — Red Feather “Blue Moon” Prairie Hike — We will hike the newly renovated Neal Smith Trail through Red Feather Prairie, just north of the Saylorville Lake Visitor’s Center. Watch the full moon rise over the prairie and see it reflected in the lake. The prairie is at its peak in the late summer and fall; come see the variety of native grasses and wildflowers there. Some of the species often seen in bloom in mid-September include showy goldenrod, sky blue aster, hairy aster, upland white aster, rigid goldenrod, saw-tooth sunflower, great blue lobelia, and bottle gentian. We will meet at the small parking lot at NW 90th Ave., just west off of Hwy. 415. Upon our return to the parking lot, we will enjoy refreshments by moonlight. This will be our final summer hike, and as it is our only hike-fundraiser we encourage a donation of $10. Please show your appreciation for our summer hikes, the hike leaders, and the work of our Central Iowa Group by joining our walk and donating generously. Contact Ginger for directions and RSVP at [email protected] or 253-0232 for directions. Difficulty level: Easy. PLEASE pass this message on to anyone you know that enjoys a walk in the outdoors.
CALENDAR (Continued from page 2)
Report on the Garlic Mustard Battles By Jo Hudson, Conservation Co-chair
A dozen years ago, I was walking with a group through Brown’s Woods Preserve with a county naturalist when he suddenly stopped to pull a tall plant by the side of the trail. He was upset because he had not seen this plant in this park before. He carried it back to the parking lot to put in the trash can to go to the landfill, explaining that the seeds would continue to ripen if he left it where he pulled it and that this very nasty plant can spread rapidly and crowd out the native forest understory plants and even small tree seedlings.
This was my introduction to garlic mustard. I later learned that it was a European plant brought to the Upper Midwestern United States by immigrants in the mid-19th century as a food plant. The leaves were cooked as greens, and the root could be ground (think horseradish). The plant is not a problem in Europe. Apparently there are natural controls there that are lacking in this country. Here it has become a severe problem in many woodlands in Upper Midwest states. When we learned that garlic mustard was already widespread in the urban woodlands in Greenwood and Ashworth Parks south of Grand Avenue in Des Moines, our conservation committee decided to make helping to fight this invading plant an ongoing project. We chose Ashworth Park, and because the plant is blooming and distinctive seed pods forming in May and June, making the plant easily recognizable then,
we declared a Saturday in early May “Garlic Mustard Attack Day.” The park manager got large heavy-duty bags for
us, and a park employee hauled the filled bags to the landfill. That day, and a workday each May for the next ten years, resulted in hundreds of bags of garlic mustard going to the landfill instead of spilling ripened seeds onto the park hillsides. Several volunteers came back to do additional pulling in other areas of that park and adjacent Greenwood Park, and many worked in other infested areas. Susan Pohl and Margaret Weiner pulled many bagfuls along the Greenbelt Trail in Clive, Ginger Soelberg worked along Beaver Creek in Urbandale, and Jo Hudson, Gil Amaro, and Peggy Murdock worked in Walnut Woods Park. A small group made two trips to work in the Ledges State Park, and Sierra volunteers found garlic mustard in Brown’s Woods, around Gray’s Lake, and in Jester Park Some found it in their own wooded neighborhood. Members of Boy Scout Troop 202 in West Des Moines have come one morning every year to work in either Ashworth or Greenwood. We felt good that we had stopped the spread of some infestations into new areas. However, by the fourth year it had become clear that a more comprehensive, coordinated effort was needed. With a $1000 grant from the Des Moines Founders Garden Club and $500 from our Central Iowa Sierra Group, we hired botanist Cathy Mabry to draw up a management plan for the parks and a professional land manager to spray the areas of heaviest infestation in both Ashworth and Greenwood and use a propane torch on new seedlings in the spring. This helped greatly. The most discouraging aspect of trying to control garlic mustard is the need for constant follow up. One missed garlic mustard plant can contribute a couple of thousand seeds to a sprayed or pulled area, and those seeds can remain viable for as long as five years. If you spot and pull plants in a beginning infestation you can stop its spread fairly easily; well-established infestations like those at Ashworth and Greenwood require much more initial work and faithful follow up to bring them under control. Let’s be ready to resume the battle next May.
