According to DNR officials, exotic animal and plant pests are invading Indiana and multiplying, causing economic and visual damage to the natural environment.
The Indiana Wildlife Federation has a list of exotic, non-native plants to avoid. Unfortunately, many landowners already have well-established invasives on their property and need to know how to eradicate, or at least manage, what already exists.
Tackling that project will require the creation of a management plan. Marshall County Soil and Water Conservation District Coordinator Debbie Palmer provided a few tips to keep in mind as you create the plan.
She notes that first, you must know what you’re dealing with. If you need help with this step, there are some plant identification smartphone apps that can be used or get in touch with Erica Luchik the Invasive Species Resource Specialist in our area. Luchik can be reached at erica@sicim.info or by calling 219-477-0252.
You can also access a comprehensive list of problematic plants through the Indiana Invasive Species Council.
After you know what plants to be looking out for, establish how many there are. Palmer suggests using Google Earth to print out an aerial photo of your property and marking where invasives are present. She notes that you will also want to determine how you want to use the land before proceeding to the next step.
Once all of that is complete you can begin to prioritize your “attack.” Focus on large blocks of un-invaded areas and do your best to keep them un-invaded. Next, control small, younger outlier populations. Then, fragment the large invaded areas into more manageable segments.
For additional information visit the Marshall County SWCD website or invasive.org.
