Weed Wrangle event goes virtual

Wintercreeper at Tzouanakis

Out of respect for the statewide order to stay at home, the Weed Wrangle set for Saturday will go virtual. Instead of meeting at the Tzouanakis Interediate School campus, volunteers are invited to remove invasive plants on their own property.

The Weed Wrangle will still be an opportunity for all ages to get into nature, learn how to identify plants and make a difference by slaying aliens.

“We are encouraging everyone to engage in virtual Weed Wrangling. Go outside, check out your backyard, your front yard, and see if you can identify or remove any invasive plants on your property,” Vanessa Fox, president of Putnam County Remove Invasive Plants (PC-RIP), said.

Weed Wranglers are invited to send questions and photos to PutnamCountyRIP@gmail.com for plant identification and information on eradication techniques. And with permission, PC-RIP will post action photos on its Facebook page to show that Putnam County continues to remove invasive plants.

When volunteers go after invasive plants on their properties, they are advised to wear work gloves, long pants and closed-toe shoes and bring tools such as loppers, clippers and saws.

The targets of the March Weed Wrangle continue to be wintercreeper, Asian bush honeysuckle and burning bush. These plants do not play well with others. They out compete native plants and disrupt natural communities. They deprive birds, insects and mammals of their natural host plants and sources of food and shelter.

Saturday’s Weed Wrangle will be PC-RIP’s second assault on invasive plants. On the fourth Saturday of February, the group removed dozens of Asian honeysuckle bushes on the campus of Ivy Tech. Another Weed Wrangle is set for April 25. These Weed Wrangles are part of a statewide initiative.

Persons with questions may contact Fox at 765-490-7198 or PutnamcountyRIP@gmail.com. Information is also available from Sara Campfield at Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District, 653-5716.