Starbucks Spartina
Dig a HUGE Success
May 2005
| When you combine coffee and Beach Watchers, there's just
no telling how much progress you can make! On Wednesday, May
11, about 50 folks from Starbucks and Beach Watchers gathered
in the Harbor of Oaks. Armed with information, gloves, shovels
and buckets and backed by the support of Island County Noxious
Weed Control Coordinator, Susan Horton, and WSDA's Spartina
Program's Randy Taylor, they zeroed in on Spartina anglica |
 |
and set about digging up and disposing of the Class B noxious
weed. Before the 2 ½ hour
dig was up, the team had filled one dumpster to the brim, and
another about half-way. Perhaps even more importantly, 50 individuals
learned where Spartina grows,
how it grows, how difficult it is to dig, and how maybe,
in certain circumstances, digging is really not the answer.
 |
Much of the Spartina found in Oak Harbor, along
Pioneer just before you get to the marina, is in the rocks of the high
intertidal. Mary Jo Adams noted after an hour or so of digging that in
many ways, it seemed like we were dealing with one big, established clone
that was sneakily coming up underneath a 40' stretch of rock. For those
of you who have never |
| tried digging Spartina , to really understand Mary Jo's comment,
you need to know that it is older, larger plants that are called "clones," and
when Spartina reaches that stage, its root system can go four
feet deep or more. Even though there were native nearshore species living
in the midst of some of the Spartina , there was no way to salvage
them because the roots of the Spartina had the native roots hopelessly
intertwined. |
The dig not only resulted in the removal of a significant
chunk of Spartina, but it also netted the
Beach Watchers a great donation from Starbucks' "Make
Your Mark" community engagement program. If you were
unable to join the group on the 11th, don't worry.
There's still plenty of the grass left to dig in the
Harbor. Just ask any of the Beach Watchers who were
there and they'll give you explicit directions on how
to get to the site and what kinds of tools you should
take with you!
Judy Feldman, Program Coordinator
WSU/Island County 4-H |
|
This
article originally appeared in the May 2005 Beach Log
