A local group is working to make invasive species management as easy as a walk in the park.
The Hamilton County Invasives Partnership (HIP) launched the first of what will be dozens of boot brush stations across the county. The stations include educational signage and an easy-to-use boot brush that is intended for use as you enter and exit walking paths on local trails.
Invasive species are those that are not native to this area and cause damage to the environment, economy, or human health. Many invasive species were introduced as ornamental plantings via the landscape industry and have since spread and taken over roadsides, parks, and natural areas. Invasive species seeds are often spread by birds, but they can also be transported on our shoes or our pet’s paws.
The Hamilton County Invasives Partnership is working to install boot brush stations at trailheads throughout the county where trail users can learn about invasive species and wipe their boots before entering the trail and at the end of their walk. This action to limit the spread of invasive species can keep quality natural areas invasive-free and limit introduction of new invasive species between parks.
At the launch of the program, Chris Stice, Director of the Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Department, shared that Hamilton County Parks has spent “tens of thousands of hours fighting invasives within our department.”
Claire Lane, Urban Conservationist for the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District and HIP coordinator, added that “these stations are a great way for trail users to take a small personal action that can have a big impact.”
The boot brush launch was held in celebration of the first ever Hamilton County Invasive Species Awareness Week to be held May 15 to 22. The awareness week will include “Weed Wrangle” volunteer invasive species workdays, an educational webinar at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18 and a variety of educational resources available on HIP social media channels.
More information on invasive species, boot brush stations, and awareness week activities can be found at hcinvasives.org.
Nice little story, and I absolutely support the boot brushes, but “easy as a walk in the park,” sets a prescious, casual tone that is inappropriate. The invasive species problem is massive and increasingly difficult to manage— not a damned thing easy about it. Important to set THAT urgent tone, and to ramp up aggressive eradication efforts, or we’re screwed vis-a-vis this problem.