Invasives and rocks. Chelmsford might hold the world record for both.
When people hear us say we have bittersweet vines 6 to 8 inches thick, they do not believe it. They think we are pulling their leg. I wish that was not true, but it is.
Our open spaces have a serious invasive problem. COSS and other groups have been fighting it for decades. We are not winning this war. At some sites, like Red Wing and Bartlett Park, we have had to end our mitigation programs. Others have picked up some of that work, but more is needed.
A bright spot right now is Koulas Farm, and that effort is invasive mitigation on steroids. We have work parties and small groups out there several times a week, working to sweep all 31 acres and cut all vines on trees. That is Phase 1 of mitigation, and this post is related to that.
Here is the hard part.
Invasives like bittersweet cannot be removed from a site unless they are placed in a sealed container, and that costs a few thousand dollars and does not hold much vine. The only way this fight can continue is to dispose of the vines on each site.
The best method to ensure the vine is dead and the seeds are dead is fire. This can only be done in late winter and early spring due to fire safety. So we are watching the weather and planning a major bittersweet “war” over the next few months.
What does that mean in practice?
We cut as much as we can and drag it to the trails. This is almost entirely handwork. Winter is ideal because there is no green growth to hide the vines, and there are far fewer ticks.
Koulas also has extra-wide trails that can take a tractor. Occasionally, a few local contractors help move piles from the trail edges to the burn area at Koulas, in the lower right field. On burn day, DPW will bring a tractor and a water truck, so the goal is to have as much staged and ready as possible.
We already have some areas loaded with piles, including the Wetlands Overlook, the Sledding Hill, and hopefully the Gathering Circle. As we uncover stone walls, we are pulling out tons of vine. Even yesterday, the area by the big rock produced a pile that will need to be moved to the burn area.
Sometimes we win, like Red Wing, which used to be heavy bittersweet.
Sometimes we lose, like the Wright area along the road, where the trail had to be moved out of an infested zone because it could not be kept open.
Currently, the focus is Koulas and our burn before the April deadline.
Hopefully we can also do a few informal training days so people can learn to identify bittersweet and remove it without negative impact to the site. That is how so many of our trails were built in the first place. Small groups, working together, learning one small patch at a time.
So if you are bored and want some exercise, take a walk and bring your loppers. When you see a bittersweet vine climbing a tree, cut it. The tree will thank you.
Chelmsford will always be known for its rocks.
Let’s make our dominance in bittersweet a thing of the past.