Riverfront Restoration
Invasive plant species are spreading along Laurel’s beautiful Riverfront Park. Some include Multiflora Rose, Tree of Heaven, Kudzu, Oriental Bittersweet, and Japanese Knotweed. These invasive species out-compete the native plants, leading to severe habitat degradation, loss of foraging opportunities for wildlife, and erosion. We employ mechanical and chemical techniques to combat this problem, including:
Forestry mulching
A three-quarter acre area located next to 9th Street, between the Laurel History Museum and the Riverfront Park, will be targeted for forestry mulching.
What is forestry mulching? A forestry mulching machine uses a series of powerful teeth on a spinning metal drum to shred vegetation into mulch. This method is used to clear heavily forested areas of unwanted vegetation, such as invasives.
Why use forestry mulching? Forestry mulching clears space for many purposes. In our case, we will be using it to prepare the area for forest restoration. We will clear unwanted plant material, while leaving desirable plants. Nothing is wasted; all mulch will remain onsite to protect the soil, reduce erosion, and decompose.
Will all the trees be removed? No. Native vegetation in good condition will be flagged and preserved before any work will commence.
What happens after forestry mulching? Native trees and other vegetation will be selected, installed, and maintained, starting with ground cover crops, like grasses. These will grow quickly to establish a vegetative cover to help compete against invasive non-natives. Native trees and shrubs will then be planted with a focus on climate and disease resilient species.
Is this a one step process? No. After forestry mulching, vegetation will need to be periodically monitored for returning invasive species. When identified, these will be removed through volunteer events.
When will this happen? Forestry mulching will begin in Spring 2022 and tree planting will occur in Fall 2022. Future phases may extend eastward up to 2 acres.
Invasive plant mitigation
Volunteers participate in work days multiple times a year to help cut back and remove invasive plants and vines. Select herbicide is carefully applied to certain widespread and resilient invasives, like Japanese knotweed, that cannot be eliminated by mechanical methods alone.
Our work at the Riverfront Park is generously supported by a grant to Laurel for the Patuxent by the Pepco Sustainable Communities Program, administered by the Rock Creek Conservancy. We are grateful to the many volunteers and organizations that have helped with invasive mitigation over the years, especially the US Fish and Wildlife Patuxent Research Refuge.
Project Collaborators: The City of Laurel, Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel Historical Museum, EcoWorks of Howard County