This CITO is planned in partnership with Windmill Island Gardens.
Instead of a typical CITO event, this one will involve helping to remove invasive species from the causeway leading to Windmill Island Gardens. We will be removing Purple-loosestrife. If you are not familiar with this plant, it is a speciies that does not grow naturally around here, and there are no natural enemies, thus it propagates and crowds out many native plants. It grows profusely in ditches along the road, perhaps you have seen it.
Windmill Island Gardens has been in the process of removing a lot of these plants on the island, but could use some help along the causeway. Removing invasive species counts as a CITO, so I thought it would be great if we could gather a group of geocacher volunteers to help with this. Those who participate will be allowed free access to the island, in case you don't have the caches there, or maybe you would just like to see the windmill or the variety of flowers that are to be enjoyed there.
Smaller plants may be able to be pulled up with roots intact. Larger plants can be cut off at the base (the plant will come back next year, but at least you can prevent it from spreading seeds). Tools will be provided.
We will meet in the picnic shelter and you will need to sign a volunteer waiver form before starting. Hope to see lots of geocachers come out to help.