Exotic Plants Workshop at Loft Mountain - August 13, 2011

Keeping American parks American, or an unlucky day for some exotic invasive plants

This was one of a series of exotic plants workshops organized by Shenandoah National Park this year and one of two at Loft Mountain. I did not expect a big turnout from the Chapter or anyone else but was surprised that only one other person planned to attend, and she did not show up. After deciding that no-one else was coming, the ranger and I headed to the Frazier Discovery Trail to start pulling stilt grass, which was boring for me because I have been doing that at home. 

The first of 6 bears for the day, taken by Cindy Blugerman SNP

After a while, the ranger noted a bear in a tree, eating something, and reaching out to grab branches, which caused the noise we noticed. Then we noticed that a dark area was a cub which was looking at us. The mother turned around to grab other branches, and then we noted another cub-a mother bear and two cubs!

The ranger pointed out the sight to people walking by, and two people who enjoyed the sight called out that they saw a bear on the other branch of the Frazier Discovery Trail. Soon we saw a bear and two cub scampering up a tree but later they came down and disappeared. We returned to the place where we saw the first trio, and noticed mother bear on the ground, and a cub trying to follow. Several feet above the ground, he stopped, looking for a way down, and then started calling out. Eventually mother went back to the tree and climbed a little way up, and was staring at us. A few days later, Cindy Blugerman, who conducted the workshop was on the same trail before meeting some exotic plant volunteers, and saw a bear again, which stomped its feet and made a "stay away" noise.

Bears, photo by Cindy Blugerman, SNP

We walked away to the other piece of the trail, where we found bittersweet to cut or pull, some of which had been damaged in the past. Also we pulled some Asiatic lady’s thumb. Soon after 2 p.m., we stopped and I ate lunch, and shared some orange cranberry cake with the ranger (she said her dogs would not get any when she got home).

She confirmed some of what I thought, that the Park’s invasive plants group is concentrating on eradicating mile a minute vine (some near the Moorman’s River, and thus could head towards Charlottesville) and wavy leaf basket grass, a new threat.

Shenandoah National Park hopes people will sign up to become Habitat Defenders, volunteers who will visit a priority site for three years to remove exotic plants.

John Shannon removed this  bittersweet root at Loft Mountain

On my way out, I stopped at McCormick Gap. On an earlier trip, Michael Seth had pulled some Asiatic lady’s thumb, so that today it was not overwhelming, so I pulled it in places. The lack of rain left even weeds wilted, and I could not tell if my last little trail regradings had been beneficial. Then on to the northern most known bittersweet patch on that trail section. In previous years, I intentionally did not try to remove all bittersweet. Now I am in eradication mode, and try to kill every piece I can bear to bend down for. All the plants I found had sprouted from roots left after pulling out plants in the past, which is normal, and frustrating. Before I finished cutting all the bittersweet I could see, my watch, my back and sounds of thunder said it was time to go.