Spring in the Catskills beings an incredible array of wildflowers, wildlife and the first trickle of visitors. This year is your opportunity to favor these beauties. Hurricane Irene moved thousands of tons of soil, road and organic material. Roots rhizomes, seeds and other reproductive parts of invasive species that are now sprouting in places we've been protecting and threaten the beauty, biology and marketability of this unique place.Westchester is a great resource of information about how to battle invassive species, drive up the Saw Mill River Parkway and see trees engulfed in Asian Bittersweet. Local parks have abundant Garlic Mustard where the Trillium, Solomon Seal, Jack In The Pulpit and Maiden Hair ferns used to grow. Groundwork Hudson Valley and The Saw Mill River Coalition sponsor invasive species removal volunteer days. Thousands of tons of bad plants are pulled cut and piled each year. Volunteer leaders from The Native Plant Center often say to beat back invasives you've got to "hit them early, hit them hard." Luckily in the Catskills we are on the front line of invasive plant movement and can thwart them with small efforts.
Why should we in the Catskills get this on our radar? Property values, tourism, hunting, and because we love it here! Most importantly because we can affect change now, snooze even one season and the plants will get way out ahead of us.
Want an easy starter project? One you can incorporate into your fun day? Right now Garlic Mustard is in full bloom and can be easily identified and easily pulled. When you hike, bike, stroll, patrol, ride, play or skip in the Hudson Valley pull it, weed whack it, smash it, dance a boogie on it, or anything else you can think of to kill this plant!
Learn more:
Check out The National Park Service's great Garlic Mustard Fact Sheet
Spend a summer outdoors, escape the hustle and bustle of Westchester. 
