Episode 190: Invasive Species Update (Part 2)

This episode continues our conversation with Kristopher Williams of PRISM and a frequent guest on Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley. Kris is our go-to expert about all things invasive. We have talked to him about invasive plants, insects and diseases. Today we asked Kris to tell us some of the success stories about his long career as an environmental advocate. We have spoken to Kris in previously aired episodes 23, 24, 31,and 189, in case you want to look a little deeper into his work. First a reminder of the definition: PRISM stands for Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management. It is one of eight regional districts in the state devised by NYS DEC and funded by the EPA to try to control the onslaught of invasive species of all kinds into the state.

Part 2 features another success story. The Hudson Crossing Park in Schuylerville, NY is on the Washington/Saratoga County line. It's an island in the Battenkill near Lock 5 of the Champlain Canal. Over a period of several years, a volunteer group sought advice from the PRISM organization. It began with a speaking engagement on the actual site, combined with a “park walk” to assess the trail network, pavilion and gardens already in place. This is what Kris calls the outreach component, educating interested people. A year later, the group asked for advice on how to manage the woodland in the park. The next year they asked for maps to divide the area into plots. Another year later, the woman leading the efforts attended a regional partnership meeting and reported a successful grant application and heavy equipment acquisition. The progress continued. They designed a “tree promenade” of native trees and underplanted it with native shrubs. The funding magic continued as more local businesses participated.They ended up with fifty trees and thirty shrubs, planted by an army of volunteers and local businesses along with members of the PRISM team. This can be replicated, usually with a “driver”, a motivated volunteer. There is a link here to the park's website.

Tim then changed the subject to an invasive he's particularly irked by... Japanese stilt grass. Possible solutions were discussed, including some failures. It all ended with a positive note, though. Kris had cleared stiltgrass from an area and replanted with natives. The following season checkup revealed NO stiltgrass. The natives had prevailed. As an added note, there is some
study going on regarding the effects of tannins from Hemlocks being a deterrent to stilt grass. So hope remains in the control of invasive species. Stay tuned!

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas
Guest: Kristopher Williams
Photo: Teresa Golden
Production Assistance: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Tim Kennelty, Amy Meadows, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski, Jean Thomas