The invasive species, Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissima, is native to South China and Australia. It is a rapidly growing deciduous tree that can be found nearly everywhere in North America where it is prolific, and Luke Chute Conservation Area is no exception. First introduced in Philadelphia in 1784, it was frequently used as an urban tree in Washington DC and Baltimore and it has since spread.

Tree of Heaven can grow up to 80 to 100 feet tall, with bark that is smooth and green when young, eventually turning light brown to gray, resembling the skin of a cantaloupe. Its leaves are pinnately compound, with leaves coming from a central stem with lance shaped leaflets on either side. Seeds can be found on female trees only, with samara or wings that are usually 1 to 4 inches long.

• Tree of Heaven can be male or female. One female tree can seed up to 300,000 clones.
• It produces allelopathic chemicals to prevent other plants from growing near it.
• Tree of Heaven will grow anywhere that isn’t shaded. Not typically found where canopy is dense.
• Can look like: Walnut, Sumac, or Hickory

Invasive plants easily grow in our native environment because our environment lacks the predators and pests that control the invasive plant in its natural environment; thereby, causing major disruption in our native ecosystem. Native plants lose ever diminishing real estate leading to a lack of biodiversity and habitat degradation. Invasive species also threaten endangered species. Around 42% of current endangered species are endangered due to invasive species.

Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth. A healthy biodiversity provides several natural services for everyone, including ecosystem services, such as: protection of water resources, soils formation and protection, nutrient storage and recycling, pollution breakdown and absorption, contribution to climate stability, maintenance of ecosystems, and recovery from unpredictable events. A healthy biodiversity also provides biological resources like food, medicinal resources, wood products, ornamental plants, breeding stocks, population reservoirs, future resources, diversity in genes, species and ecosystems. Social benefits include research, education and monitoring, recreation and tourism, and cultural values.

This fall, Friends of the Lower Muskingum River have been hosting Pollinator Habitat Workdays at the Luke Chute Conservation Area located five miles from the SR 266 and Route 60 junction, which is five miles before Stockport, OH. The FLMR will be removing Tree of Heaven from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Oct. 27th.

“We will mostly be dealing with small saplings in sandy soil, so we will mainly be pulling or digging them out. On larger trees we cut them down and paint the stump with an herbicide. We prefer not using herbicides, but tree of heaven will often send up multiple roots sprouts for years if you don’t kill the root system.  It’s possible to eventually kill the root system by continually cutting the root sprouts until you exhaust the reserves in the roots, but this isn’t always practical as it takes much more work and won’t be successful unless you are diligent”, Katy Lustofin, FLMR President and Professor of Biology at Marietta College.

The post Tree of Heaven, a Not So Heavenly Problem appeared first on Clutch MOV.

In 1989, September was dedicated as Honeybee Month to promote beekeeping and honey as a natural sweetener. As bees become more threatened we should remind ourselves of the important role that honeybees and other pollinators play in the environment and what we can do to conserve and protect them.

Protection and conservation of honeybees and other pollinators is important because they play a vital role in our ecosystem. One in every three crops rely on pollination. Fruits (including vegetables such as squash, cucumber, tomato and eggplant), nuts, seeds, fiber (such as cotton), and hay (alfalfa grown to feed livestock), require pollination by insects. Losing pollinator bees would result in the loss of a third of our food supply which would further diminish our already depleting food supply as our population grows exponentially.

Things you can do to help our honeybees and other pollinators:

Plant pollinator-friendly native plants around your house and/or in your garden. This will provide nutrient rich nectar to fuel healthy pollinator populations. Cluster these plants closely together to provide protection from predators and shelter for pollinators.

Leave standing dead trees, fallen branches, and patches of sandy soil for solitary native bees. 

Avoid spraying pesticides. If you must use pesticides, use garlic, soap, or chili pepper and spray at night. Use products that target specific pests rather than broad-spectrum ones. Avoid anything labeled as toxic to bees or that kills the “weedy” flowers pollinators visit. Specifically avoid garden products that include neonicotinoids. If you must use a spray, make sure you follow the directions on the container and use sparingly.

Fill a bird bath or a muddy hole for pollinator to drink.

Donate or sell land to land trusts like Friends of the Lower Muskingum River (FLMR) who establish diverse native plant pollinator habitats which provide pollinators with the nutritious nectar they need to grow healthy thriving colonies.

This summer the Luke Chute Conservation Pollinator Habitat was alive with pollinator activity including honeybees. Hundreds of pollinators could be heard and seen gathering nectar from beautiful native wildflowers: Spider Wart, Bee Bomb, Purple Cone Flower, Wing Stem, Partridge Pea, Red Clover, White Clover, Brown-eyed Susan, and Black-eyed Susan. This native flowering plant diversity promotes a more nutritional diet for pollinators and combats monoculture, while also being very pleasing to the eye.

In 2017, FLMR worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Partners, Pheasants Forever, and Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative to create an 8.5 acre pollinator habitat on the Luke Chute Conservation Area, a 31 acre property owned by FLMR. FLMR, FLMR partners, and our volunteers spent many hours over several months getting the fields ready for planting. This property was designed to mitigate pollinator habitat loss which is one of the factors causing bee mortality. Other factors include parasites, pathogens, pesticides, and poor nutrition .

This project provides much-needed habitat for honey bees and native pollinators which are so important for our ecosystem and our food system.  It is also a great place for visitors and school groups to learn about pollinators.  

The post Helping the Honey Bees appeared first on Clutch MOV.