The Nature Conservancy relies on volunteers to manage invasive shrubs at the Snake Mountain South Natural Area in Bridport.

The Nature Conservancy relies on volunteers to manage invasive shrubs at the Snake Mountain South Natural Area in Bridport.

A new tool for volunteer citizen scientists and land managers imapinvasives is a web-based, georeferenced database that anyone in Vermont can use to upload or access data about invasive plants. This resource can be an effective tool for both recruiting and utilizing a volunteer workforce. Communities can use it to help in Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) and management. The more eyes on the ground collecting data, the more useful the database becomes. Here are some ways that it can be used in your area: Train volunteers to identify plants that are not yet common in your area. In some parts of the state, giant hogweed is rarely found. People can report potential sightings through imap. Work with a local school group to map a particular species. For example, they could map all of the Japanese knotweed along a river, and then upload the information into imap. Map the invasives on a particular property and use this information to develop a weed management plan.

Table 4.1. Finding the right volunteers Type of activity & skills needed Management or planting events: Large community events can be effective for removing dense populations of invasive plants from sites that don t have species/features (such as vernal pools) that could be easily damaged by large groups. One-time events can require significant up-front planning and coordination. Smaller groups can return to remove any plants missed by volunteers and to control plants which have re-sprouted. Skills needed: Ability to work with other people. Caution and care when using tools and working around native plants Basic plant identification Ability to follow directions Basic physical fitness Where to find the volunteers Youth groups: school groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4H. Service groups: Rotary, Lions, AmeriCorps, church and religious groups like the Knights of Columbus, Vermont Youth Conservation Corps. Outdoor clubs: Green Mountain Club or other local hiking clubs, Trout Unlimited and Ruffed Grouse Society chapters, ATV and snowmobile clubs. Students: Check with local colleges and high schools for volunteer programs. The UVM LANDS and UVM Service TREK programs are examples in the Burlington area. High school students often have to perform a certain number of community service hours in order to graduate. Corporate volunteers: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and IBM are two Vermont businesses that encourage staff members to conduct volunteer work in their community. Check with businesses in your region to see if they provide opportunities for employee volunteerism. The United Way of Chittenden County Volunteer Center works with local businesses to organize Days of Caring for their employees, typically in the fall and spring. Contact 802-860-1677 or volctr@unitedwaycc.org for more information. Regular supervised work days: Regular volunteer work days that occur monthly during the field season can be appropriate for the Retired people, especially those who have an interest in ecology, hiking, fishing or birding. Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of

long-term maintenance and control of invasives in an area. This type of project will benefit from repeat and increasingly skilled volunteers. Also requires a sustained commitment from at least one project member to organize and potentially oversee work days. Skills needed: Same as for one-time events Long-term, unsupervised projects: Volunteers who are trained and certified to monitor and remove invasive plants and observe areas for Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) species in a designated area can do so without the supervision of project leaders. This approach involves the greatest amount of investment in volunteer training and management, and is well suited to large project areas. See Case Study 4 for an example of this model. Skills needed: Plant ID and removal skills Interest in long-term stewardship Potential use of GPS units Outreach and education: Many volunteers enjoy staffing tables at farmers markets and other events, giving workshops, designing and putting up posters, and other outreach activities. Chittenden County is an excellent resource. (www.unitedwaycc.org/rsvp) Outdoor clubs: Green Mountain Club or other local hiking clubs, Trout Unlimited chapters, Ruffed Grouse Society chapters, ATV and snowmobile clubs. People who work from home may have the flexibility to take a few hours out of their day on a regular basis. Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (see text box p.37) Seniors and retirees. Master Gardeners and SOUL volunteers know plants, like to be outside, and are required to do a certain number of volunteer hours per year. http://www.uvm.edu/mastergardener/ http://www.uvm.edu/extension/environment/?pag e=landscape.html Americorps Alums (see text box p.37) Master Gardeners Local educators Conservation commission members Skills needed: A working knowledge of the invasive plant issue Strong interpersonal skills Graphic design skills

Unique partnerships for invasive plant projects in Vermont The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC): Each year, the VYCC hires young people ages 16-24 to complete conservation projects such as state park management, trail maintenance, backcountry construction and last, but not least, non-native invasive plant control. Projects are conducted in partnership with agencies, non-profits, schools, and organizations with complementary missions. For more information, go to http://www.vycc.org/. Their operations staff can assist you in designing your project, finding funding and applying for a VYCC crew. Call 1-802- 434-3969. AmeriCorps Alums: Over 500,000 people have participated in AmeriCorps. In Vermont, alumni chapters are found in Burlington and northwestern Vermont, the Northeast Kingdom, and central and southern Vermont. Members are often looking for experience or professional development that your invasive plant project may be able to offer. For more information go to: www.americorpsalums.org.

Safety First: Lyme disease, a significant health concern in Vermont Deer ticks with Lyme disease pose a significant safety risk to volunteers working in any natural area in Vermont. It is essential that you instruct your volunteers on how to take precautions for personal protection. Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and pants so that the ticks can be more easily spotted. Ticks tend to be present close to ground level, therefore, tuck pants into socks or boots to prevent entry under pant legs. Use an insect repellent containing DEET to reduce risk of tick attachment. Do a tick check at the end of the work day. At home, take a hot shower and look again. The deer tick transmits the Lyme disease bacteria to its host after attaching; transmission does not occur until at least 36 hours after attachment. For more information about Lyme disease, visit the Centers for Disease Control web site at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme. )

Emily Seifert of The Nature Conservancy briefs Richmond volunteers on the day's work.

Working with schools There are many ways to work with students from the local school. Invasives research, outreach and management make excellent servicelearning opportunities. Work with a local teacher who is comfortable taking students outside or knows how to develop place-based curricula. A local school group could: Map a particular species or natural area using imapinvasives Remove invasive plants from school gardens or town buildings Attend an invasives removal day on a town property Develop outreach materials for the local paper or school newsletter Put together a presentation to town or school officials VT State Standards are loaded with requirements that can be met with invasives-related activities. For a sampling of standards, see Appendix M. To learn more about place-based education, go to www.promiseofplace.org.

Integrate invasive plant management into Girl Scout awards and Boy Scout merit badges The following age-level awards for the Girl Scouts could include an invasive plant component: Brownies: Earth and Sky, Earth Is Our Home, and Plants Juniors: Earth Connections, Eco-Action, Environmental Health, and Plants and Animals Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scouts: Eco-Action and Plant Life For more information on awards go to http://www.girlscouts.org/. The Boy Scouts Plant Science merit badge specifically requires that the Scouts describe five invasive non-native plants, explain how they may be harmful, and understand how the spread of invasive plants may be avoided or controlled in ways that are not damaging to humans, wildlife, and the environment. An invasive plant component could also be incorporated into the Environmental Science, Forestry and Nature merit badges. Check out http://www.scouting.org/ for more information.