History
Other Similar Groups
There are initiatives across the United States and abroad that address invasive species. The National Park Service has a program to combat invasive plants. Volunteers have been used in other regions of the country to eliminate or reduce invasive plants. Weed Wrangler is a volunteer group in Nashville, Tennessee, that has sparked a national movement. Weed Wranglers organizes volunteer work parties on public and non-profit green spaces and provides educational outreach. Grassroots efforts throughout the country have replicated their model. For example, in 2013, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation created eight Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISMs) covering the state. This program has been quite successful. The Governor of Pennsylvania enacted the Invasive Species Council of Pennsylvania in 2004 and reenacted it in 2017. The council proposed the formation of six PRISMs in Pennsylvania. Their proposal is awaiting legislative funding.
How We Got Started
Barb Hauge, a landscape architect in Indiana, PA, was inspired by these efforts around the United States. In early 2022, she approached Cindy Rogers, Ellen Yerger, and Ed Donley, asking them if they were interested in starting a group to combat invasive plants in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. The four of them soon hatched plans to conduct a few work events in 2022 at Tanoma Wetland and at Blue Spruce County Park. The bulk of the volunteers were ecologically-minded students from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. A few other volunteers, recruited by word of mouth, joined them. Informed by their initial experiences, the group was ready to launch on a larger scale. They asked Monica Lee, then from the Indiana County Conservation District, to join them. In late winter and early spring 2023, these five expanded their volunteer recruiting to the community and developed their Web site.
Progress to Date
Plant Patrol had 112 volunteers spend 589.5 person-hours treating 14 invasive species during 29 work events at 12 locations in Indiana County. Those locations are Blue Spruce Park, Ghost Town Trail, Hoodlebug Trail, IUP South Woods, Jimmy Stewart Airport, Pine Ridge Park, Pond Near Smicksburg, Tanoma AMD Wetlands Educational Site, White Township Recreation Complex, White's Woods Nature Center, YMCA of Indiana County and Yellow Creek State Park. The following table shows the total quantity of each invasive species treated.
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Total Treated |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn Olive | Elaeagnus umbellata | 212 shrubs |
| Barberry Bush | Berberis vulgaris | 2,458 shrubs |
| Burning Bush | Euonymus alatus | 4 shrubs |
| Garlic Mustard | Alliaria petiolata | 0.25 bushels |
| Honeysuckle shrub | Lonicera spp. | 1,179 shrubs |
| Japanese Stiltgrass | Microstegium vimineum | 2 bushels |
| Knotweed | Polygonum spp. | 4,052 sq yards |
| Mile-a-Minute Vine | Persicaria perfoliata | 20.5 bushels |
| Multiflora Rose | Rosa multiflora | 1,393 shrubs |
| Privet | Ligustrum spp. | 118 shrubs |
| Purple Loosestrife | Lythrum salicaria | 3 bushels |
| Thistle | Cirsium spp. | 10 bushels |
| Tree-of-Heaven | Ailanthus altissima | 634 stems |
| Water Chestnut | Trapa natans | 137 bushels |
Upcoming Events
No future events are currently scheduled. We will post more later.
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