Habitat Restoration Update

Another habitat restoration session is planned for this Sunday, Feb. 10, at 2pm. To participate, drive up the driveway at 57 Mountain Ave in Princeton, and park in the gravel parking lot. Please wear work clothes, leather gloves, and bring tools if you have them. Bowsaws, loppers, pruning shears, clippers--any of these would be useful, though I have a few extras. Below is an account of what transpired last weekend.


This past Sunday's workday at Mountain Lakes was very productive. The "winter" weather (sunny, 45 degrees) and soft soil proved perfect for pulling out hundreds of small honeysuckle and privet shrubs that have been invading the valley.

We left the two or three native shrubs in the mix (red chokeberries), and noticed many sedges and a few Christmas ferns ready to respond to the new dose of sunshine they'll receive now that the invasives are removed. One not-too-invasive exotic, wineberry, was left in place, the idea being that we'll control it by eating its raspberry-like berries in the summer.





In this photo, the adults stand back as the kids take on an invasive honeysuckle shrub.