Posts filed under ‘About the 2010 Challenge’
Join Us! End of 2010 Challenge Celebration and Awarding of Cluster Cup
It’s nearing the end of the Stewardship Network’s 2010 Garlic Mustard Challenge! Since everyone went above and beyond the call of duty and pulled over 100 tons of garlic mustard, it’s time to party!
Please join us!
End of Challenge Celebration & Awarding of the Cluster Cup
Friday, July 9th, 2010 / 7:00 p.m. – 10:00p.m. ish
Come just for some or stay for it all!
Lake Lansing North Park, Haslett, Michigan (just east of East Lansing)
We hope you’lll join us! Bring a garlic mustard insprired dish to pass (garlicky, mustardy, both, or actually made from garlic mustard!), enjoy swapping tales from the field, listen in on garlic mustard presentations from researchers and land managers, groove to live percussion music from Juice, and meet others who’ve toiled all spring pulling garlic mustard just like you! And don’t forget, we’ll be awarding the Cluster Cup to the Winning Cluster and the Mid-Michigan Cluster will be awarding their own “Golden Bag” Award! RSVP Today!
Nearly 2 Billion Seeds Saved from Being Spread 2010 Field Season
Ok, so I want to preface this by saying, these are rough numbers, there are SO many factors and variables that would go into producing a completely accurate number. But I just wanted to give you some scope on the difference that we are all making. Here was my attempt at calculating just how many garlic mustard seeds we have all prevented from being spread during the 2010 Garlic Mutard Challenge so far…2,064,239,100 seeds!
That seems like an insance number, right? Well it is! To make this number seem even more magnanimous, imagine this-
Keep in mind that many seeds don’t even make it to seedlings or then rosettes in the first place, and only 60-90% of seedlings make it through summer droughts. So, using conservative numbers, from what we’ve all pulled this year, we have collecitvely saved a potential 2,554,495,786,250 seeds from spreading in 2011!
Yikes, all that math is making my brain hurt! But all of that math should make you think twice about overlooking a patch of garlic mustard or not stopping for the 2 seconds it takes to brush off your boots when entering or leaving a natural area.
I’m usually the first one to start running the other way when the idea of math is brought up- but I really wanted to bring home the difference that we are all making! Think about the impact that your action of just pulling one stalk or just one bag or a 1/2 bag or 50 bags of garlic mustard is having on natural areas for future generations!
Kate Howe, Coordinator of Midwest Invasive Plant Network, Supports Stewardship Network
Last January, the Midwest Invasive Plant Network (MIPN) teamed up with the Stewardship Network to co-host their annual conference, “The Science, Practice, & Art of Restoring Native Ecosystems.” The conference gave MIPN members, staff, and board of directors a chance to see the work of the Stewardship Network up close, and we were both impressed and inspired by the great work this organization manages to accomplish through its staff and the growing network of Clusters. The talks were interesting and informative, and the meeting ran incredibly smoothly. But what was most impressive was the people.
The Stewardship Network connects those most dedicated to saving, restoring, and stewarding our natural lands and waters. The network of professionals and volunteers, scientists and practitioners, long-time conservationists and the newly converted, makes a real difference for natural areas in the Midwest.
Kate Howe, Coordinator
Midwest Invasive Plant Network (MIPN)
Week 9: Most garlic mustard pulled in 3 years of Challenge!
Collectively, we have pulled an insane amount of garlic mustard across the Great Lakes Region… 175,808 lbs of pulled and reported garlic mustard!
The Headwaters Cluster is slowly but surely making strides at catching the leaders of the pack with 28,205 lbs. The Mid-Michigan Cluster this weekend pulled over 4,000 pounds during their own Mid-Michigan Cluster competition and the Lakeplain Cluster began submitting pounds from the Detroit area’s Rouge Rescue days.
We still have 4 more weeks left to go in the 2010 Garlic Mustard Challenge! Be sure to encourage anyone you know who has not yet reported garlic mustard to report for their Cluster. Much of the pulling is over, but a lot can still happen in the Cluster Competition!
To pull or not to pull?
Like many of you may be realizing, there is little time left to pull garlic mustard. Please be sure to use your best judgement in pulling garlic mustard- if your garlic mustard is exposed to a lot of sun, they are probably pretty dry and close to spreading seed and should be left alone. If your garlic mustard is in a shady wet area, you most likely have a little while left to pull safely. Ultimately, it’s up to you to make the right call!
Check out the Cluster Competition…
Participate in Global Field Survey of garlic mustard
For those of you out in the field managing against garlic mustard, please check out this opportunity:
I would like to draw your attention to the world’s largest collaborative project on invasive species; it may be of particular interest to educators, conservation groups, and resource managers.
Do you want to be part of the world’s largest scientific research project on invasive species? The ‘Global Garlic Mustard Field Survey’ is an international collaboration aimed at obtaining much-needed data on the abundance and distribution of Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) across its native and introduced ranges. In our first field season last year, we received measurements and seed samples from 65 populations, with a majority from Europe – already one of the largest systematic field surveys of an invasive species. Our goal for this summer is 150 or more, with a stronger emphasis on the southern and mid-west to western United States.
This year we are hoping to increase participation among educators, as well as land managers and ‘citizen-scientists’ who may not have much formal science training. The survey involves a simple protocol that can be followed directly or incorporated into field courses and nature surveys. A population takes two people about 2-4 hours to measure. We are also planning to develop internet-based teaching modules and tools to aid with monitoring and managing this invasive plant. The sampling protocol, along with contact information is available at the Global Garlic Mustard Field Survey website: www.GarlicMustard.org (note that you do not need to log in to the site to participate).
Ideal sampling time is 2-4 weeks after flowering finishes and ranges from early June in southern states (e.g. OK, AR, AL, GA, SC) and lower altitudes to mid to late July in northern states (e.g. OR, WA, ID, ND, MN, WI, MI, VT, ME), higher altitudes and Canada.
Please contact me if you would like to participate.
North American Coordinator
Dr. Robert Colautti
Biology Department
Duke University
rob.colautti@duke.edu
Week 8: We’ve done it! Now let’s go the distance…
By George, I think we’ve done it! As of Thursday, we have officially broken through our goal of 150,000 lbs of pulled and reported garlic mustard… 152,037 pounds!
But why stop now? We pulled 158,462 lbs in 2009- let’s see if we can break that and go the distance! Like they say, “it ain’t over ’til it’s over…” The 2010 Challenge officially runs until July 9th (we have to make sure people farther up north have a chance to participate!)
Eventhough the time is running out on how long people in southern areas of the Great Lakes region can pull garlic mustard, people can still report bags and pounds that they have pulled previously in the year. Please be sure to encourage anyone you know who’s pulled and not reported to report!! This is one way you can still help your Cluster fight for the Cup!
Speaking of the Cluster Cup… who’s in the lead? The West Michigan Cluster is in the lead with an unprecedented 41,644 lbs… shattering the 2008 and 2009 winning Cluster totals! Meanwhile, the Headwaters Cluster and Huron Arbor Cluster have been plugging away in 2nd and 3rd place, trying to stay with the leader of the pack. The Mid-Michigan Cluster has pulled away from the Lakeplain Cluster and is now a solid 5,ooo lbs ahead– with another big pull going on this weekend!
Check out the standings below:
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Please consider a contribution through our spring fundraiser to support Stewardship Network programs like the 2010 Challenge!Join us and Donate today!
Mid-Michigan Cluster Challenge Days this weekend
Want another way to get involved in the Garlic Mustard Challenge before the rest of the garlic mustard goes to seed in Michigan’s lower mitten?
Well, if you’re in the Ingham County/Lansing area, please come and join the Mid-Michigan Cluster’s Garlic Mustard Challenge weekend, Saturday and Sunday, June 5th-6th at various area parks!
Click here for more info on how, when, and where to get involved!
Locations:
Burchfield Park, Holt, Michigan
Fenner Nature Center, Lansing, Michigan
Lansing River Trail, Potter Park in Lansing, Michigan
Hawk Island Park / Scott Woods, Lansing, Michigan
Harris Nature Center and Meridian Riverfront, Okemos, Michigan
Adjacent to Toumey Woods, MSU, East Lansing, Michigan
Waterloo Recreation Area, Chelsea, Michigan
Henry Fine Park, East Lansing, Michigan
Lake Lansing North Park, Haslett, Michigan
For opportunities outside of this weekend event, please visit the Stewardship Network’s Searchable Event Calendar
Help support the Garlic Mustard Challenge and other Stewardship Network Programs
Please Join us and Donate Today!
We are so thrilled that the Garlic Mustard Challenge has been so successful over the last few years! … and that’s all due to YOUR support out in the field, collectively contributing to our over 424,000 pounds of pulled and reported garlic mustard over the last 3 seasons!
This year alone we’ve already had well over a thousand participants in the field volunteering their time and energy pulling garlic mustard! We were fortunate enough to receive funding for the 2010 Challenge from the Sustain Our Great Lakes program, but the Stewardship Network heavily relies on contributions to support its other programs and fill gaps where grant funding falls short.
Before, during, and after the Garlic Mustard Challenge we are kept busy providing programs that support the work of others in the natural areas field. Those include live, free webcasts, webcast archives, workday/workshops, Cluster support, annual conference, searchable event calendar, an extensive online presence, and many other programs- to learn more, please click here! The Stewardship Network is in need of financial contributions to ensure that we can continue to offer quality programs. To do so, we are beginning an annual spring fundraiser, Connect to Protect! We truly appreciate your past support and hope that you can help us continue to offer great programs!
