This June, LIISMA helped partners get an early start on managing their aquatic invasive species. During New York Invasive Species Awareness Week, we worked with partners to hand-pull nearly 4,000 pounds of water chestnut (Trapa natans) from Massapequa Preserve and Upper Twin Pond over two visits. Partners from NYSDEC, Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Town of Hempstead Conservation and Waterway made the efforts a great success.
Later on, we helped in the inaugural volunteer Ludwigia peploides pull at Wolfes Pond, Staten Island. On a cloudy Saturday, 9 people, including volunteers with NYC Parks, pulled 8 garbage bags worth of L. peploides from around the shoreline using kayaks and waders. When you can catch infestations of these plants early, hand-pulling can help protect the entire watershed. We’re grateful to our partners for coordinating this important work!
On the other end of the LIISMA region, our team protected a coastal plain pond from an emerging stand of Phragmites at Sears Bellows County Park. After surveying the native species on the shoreline with a hula-hoop sampling method, we used spades to separate phragmites stems from the rhizomes. This being the second year of treatment, the team noticed reduced fitness of the phragmites stand. We look forward to returning later in the season to revisit this and other populations.
