Invasive Water Chestnut Removal Opportunity
Steve Olshewski
Our friends at the Connecticut River Conservancy recently contacted Sierra Club Connecticut’s Greater Hartford Group to see if we would be interested in partnering with them on one of their Citizen Science programs. This program involves monitoring and removing the water chestnut (an aquatic invasive species) at a number of sites along the Connecticut River and its tributaries.
Photo Credit: From the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Invasive Species website
Photo: A screen shot from DEEP’s website of the painfully sharp seeds (left) and the plant (right) of the Water Chestnut.
The removal events (pullings) normally start in late May and go through mid-August, and happen once or twice a month. Initially we would be looking for volunteers to help with the pullings, and, if there is enough interest in an ongoing commitment, the Greater Hartford Group could become responsible for monitoring and removal at a specific site.
With the presence of the coronavirus changing everything, the dates of events and whether events take place at all is up in the air.
If you are interested in participating in this program when circumstances allow, please contact Steve Olshewski.
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Steve Olshewski is a longtime Sierra Club member and active volunteer in the Greater Hartford Group.