Students Partner with Park Staff to Battle Invasive Plants

Portage Park District recently began teaming up with Theodore Roosevelt High School’s Forestry and Environmental Studies Career Technical Education Program.  This year’s senior students have chosen invasive species removal and native seed propagation as the highlights of their capstone project.  Teacher Kyle Kutinsky reached out to Portage Park District's Natural Areas staff to discuss ideas to get the students involved with the park’s stewardship efforts.  It is an excellent match, as the park efforts align perfectly with the goals of the students. 

The class began with visits to Towner’s Woods Park and Bird Family Bog Preserve to get familiar with current projects at both sites.  At Towner’s Woods, the class will be working to remove a large area of invasive bush honeysuckle that is threatening sensitive bog habitat. 

Students have already begun working at Bird Family Bog Preserve in an effort to promote increased tamarack recruitment.  Tamarack (Larix larcina) is Ohio’s only deciduous conifer and is mostly limited to naturally growing in our bog and fen habitats.  At Bird Family Bog, altered, lower water levels have allowed undesirable tree and shrub species, especially glossy buckthorn, to dominate and shade the understory of the large tamaracks, preventing new seedlings from establishing.  This has caused a disruption to tamarack reproduction for over twenty years, creating a large gap in the age structure of the population.  The students are working to remove all buckthorn seedlings and saplings within a 30-foot radius of each tamarack.

Work with the class will be ongoing throughout the school year, and we look forward to updating you as work progresses.