A small group of dedicated environmentalists contended with rain and 35-degree weather yesterday to tackle the removal of Athens County's most invasive weed, garlic-mustard.
Garlic-mustard is an understory invader that is harmful to native plants and can overrun a forested area within a couple of years if left unchecked, said Tanner Filyaw, Americorp VISTA volunteer for Rural Action, one of the organizing groups.
April is the ideal time to pull garlic-mustard because the weed is easy to spot but has not grown the seed-bearing fruit, which helps to spread the wild plant, OU professor and participant Philip Cantino said.
The garlic-mustard plant is found locally at Strouds Run State Park, The Ridges and Sells Park.
Cantino said he attributed the small turnout yesterday at Sells Park to the inclement weather, because more residents and students have attended in previous years.
The efforts were sponsored by a coalition of eight local environmental organizations and the Ohio University Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, according to a news release.
Groups have worked to remove invasive weeds in Athens County for more than 10 years, Cantino said.
John Knouse, the organizer of yesterday's removal efforts, said OU students should participate with environmental projects, such as the garlic-mustard eradication.
Everyone has a responsibility to the community and the world around them
including students said Knouse, who is also a member of Athens Trails.
The organizations will be clearing garlic-mustard and other invasive weeds for the next three weekends, according to a news release. A bike ride and weed-pulling expedition along Hockhocking-Adena Bikeway was rescheduled for Sunday because of the rain, Cantino said.
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Jessie Balmert
