Volunteers Quash Glossy Buckthorn on National Public Lands Day

By Susan Trull on Sep 9, 2010

Eighteen volunteers treated 5 acres of glossy buckthorn at popular day use area on Lake Superior

The Ottawa National Forest held a National Public Lands Day Event on Saturday, September 25, 2010, at the Black River Harbor day use area on Lake Superior. Eighteen volunteers participated in a project to control the non-native invasive shrub, glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus). Glossy buckthorn has invaded the day use area and adjacent campground, and treatments have been ongoing to suppress this undesirable shrub.

Volunteers responding to the call for assistance included members of the Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin, Fish and Game Club, the Ni-Miikanaake Chapter of the North Country Trail Association, and others. Volunteers were paired up and given a briefing about the shrub and safe ways to control it. Volunteers then lopped off bushes and painted a small amount of herbicide on each cut stem. Ian Shackleford, Botanist with the Ottawa National Forest and project coordinator, used a backpack sprayer to cover foliage of smaller plants with herbicide. Some small seedlings were also hand pulled.

The volunteers worked all morning and accomplished five acres of treatment. They also discovered a new area of buckthorn infestation in the day use vicinity. In addition to the satisfaction of having helped to "lend a hand and care for the land", volunteers enjoyed a cookout and each received a National Public Lands Day t-shirt.

The Ottawa National Forest has held previous National Public Lands Day events to address non-native invasive species as well as other projects. Look for public lands events every year on the last Saturday in September.