About the Challenge
When: April 13th, 2011 – July 8th, 2011
Where: Anywhere there is invasive garlic mustard
Who: You!
What is the Garlic Mustard Challenge?
The Challenge is a collaborative program geared towards restoring and protecting native ecosystems in natural areas, particularly in the Great Lakes Region. It encourages people to get out on the land and steward their natural areas in a fun and engaging way! The project hopes to promote active land management, education regarding garlic mustard, and the importance of ongoing stewardship.
Since 2008, the Challenge has recorded over 540,000 lbs of pulled garlic mustard (128,000 in Spring 2008 | 158,000 in Spring 2009 | 240,000 in Spring 2010 )! To further engage the competitive spirit, the Stewardship Network awards each year the Cluster, or Out-Of-Cluster Area, that has recorded the most pulled garlic mustard with the Cluster Cup.
The 2008 winner was the West Michigan Cluster with 35,500 lbs
The 2009 winner was the Huron Arbor Cluster with 36,300 lbs
The 2010 winner was again the Huron Arbor Cluster with 58,300 lbs
… who will it be in 2011?
Beyond its quantitative aims, the Challenge strives to promote the significance of healthy native ecosystems; the threat of garlic mustard and other invasive plants such as Dame’s Rocket and Bittercress; proper removal techniques for specific invasives; and the detail and diligence necessary to thoroughly eradicate an invasive plant population.
The Challenge strives to educate people in all walks of life about such issues, And finally, although certainly not least, it provides many great opportunities to foster greater cooperation between restorationists and volunteers.
“Rocket Boost”
Included in this year’s Garlic Mustard Challenge, we are featuring a “Rocket Boost.” This means, that while you are ridding your natural area of garlic mustard, don’t be afraid to throw in some other spring invasive species! Additional spring invasives that we are accepting in reported bags for the 2011 Challenge are: Dame’s Rocket and Narrow-leaf Bittercress. When reporting your bags of pulled garlic mustard, be sure to let us know on the form if there are any “Boosts” in your garlic mustard bags.
Garlic Mustard “Free” Locations
Since protecting natural areas from garlic mustard is just as important as restoring areas overwhelmed with it, we want to give special attention to locations that have no second-year garlic mustard plants on their property. Please email Erin and Katie at the Stewardship Network (garlicmustard@stewardshipnetwork.org) with the property name and its approximate location and acreage. It will then be listed on our website as the Garlic Mustard Challenge gets underway.
Get Involved!
Want to get involved in the Garlic Mustard Challenge this year? It’s easy, and anyone can participate- school groups, retirement communities, neighborhood groups, professional landscapers, parks and recreation, land conservancies, volunteer and paid staff positions doing restoration work, private landowners, public landowners, Boy and Girl Scout Troops, … anyone!
1) Pull garlic mustard on your own, with friends and family, with your field crew, or with any number of already scheduled volunteer opportunities at local natural areas
Click here to find a Garlic Mustard Pulling Event
2) Figure out what Stewardship Network Cluster (or Out-of-Cluster) you are in, so your pounds can be counted towards the Cluster competition
3) Report the numbers of refuse bags or pounds of pulled garlic mustard (Please coordinate who will be reporting number of bags in order to avoid duplicates)
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