Volunteer program was pioneered by Montgomery Parks’ Forest Ecologist Carole Bergmann.
SILVER SPRING, MD—Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its Weed Warrior Program, a volunteer driven effort to remove non-native invasive (NNI) plants from parkland. The program was started in 1999 by Montgomery Parks Forest Ecologist Carole Bergmann to educate citizens on the risks associated with NNIs so they could help manage them. The program had just 13 volunteer Weed Warriors in 1999. Today over 1,000 citizens have attended Weed Warrior Training, with 500 currently active and contributing more than 63,000 hours of volunteer service to addressing this problem.
The celebration of this milestone includes regular Weed Warrior workdays the first Saturday of each month during 2014; Weed Warrior Special Events the 15th of each month; and “15 Days of Garlic Mustard” from April 19 – May 3.Garlic Mustard is a non-native invasive plant that interrupts ecosystem services and limits tree growth.
“The extent of the invasive plant issue in the county was not something that most people recognized, and may still not recognize. The perception that ‘green is good’ is widely accepted. Invasive plants are a serious threat to the health of our trees,” Carole Bergmann said. “Weed Warriors are empowered to do something about them.”
There are dozens of NNI plants in Montgomery County including porcelainberry, oriental bittersweet, Japanese barberry, mile-a-minute vine, and kudzu. The species are often brought into our environment with the best intentions (ornamental, wildlife or livestock food source and/or soil stabilizer) with people not realizing that these plants can wreak havoc on natural ecosystems, taking over habitats from plants and animals that have evolved over thousands of years. This can drastically impact a park and even an entire park system interfering with its ability to produce clean air, water and support the local environment; and this can happen in as little as three years.
The key to controlling non-native invasive species is early detection and removal. This is best achieved through programs like Weed Warriors where large groups of trained volunteers can dedicate regular blocks of time to monitor parkland and remove invasive vegetation before it is well established in the area.
Weed Warrior Volunteer Coordinator Meghan Fellows says “anyone can volunteer to remove invasive plants from parkland, if you want to come for a few hours to earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours or if you want to come for a few years, the Weed Warrior program is structured to put your efforts to the best use. At our group workdays, we train you on site to recognize one or two species and how to use your tool properly. The program is really targeted to people over age 16 (under 16’s can’t use tools and under 14’s need an adult). If you want to work on your own, the Certified Weed Warrior trainings allow you to become qualified on a range of species and with a range of tools.”
Regular Weed Warrior training sessions are held April through October to teach volunteers to identify invasive plants and proper removal techniques. Montgomery Parks offers two different types of trainings:
- Certified Weed Warrior Training: participants (16 years and older) take a two-part online course, followed by a two-hour field training session and can then work anywhere on Montgomery Parks land on their own schedules and at their own pace.
- Special Project Training: people can join a group project that is already taking place to learn about and work on invasive plants in their parks without making the commitment to the full Certified Weed Warrior Training Program.
Weed Warrior projects are approved for Student Service Learning (SSL) hours.
About The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks manages more than 35,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 418 parks. Montgomery Parks is a department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. The M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. www.montgomeryparks.org
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