Goodrich Parcel Invasive Plant Removal

Goodrich Parcel Invasive Plant Removal 

The City was able to complete a successful invasive plant removal event at the conserved Goodrich Parcel.  This parcel was originally protected through a perpetual easement in 2011.  The Champlain Valley Conservation Partnership took an interest in the parcel in 2021 after being recipients for a grant sub-award that Audubon Vermont received from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation in September 2020.  Audubon has been working to support habitat management and land conservation work that improves habitat needed for golden-winged warblers, woodcocks, black-throated warblers, Canada warblers, and wood thrush.  After consulting with Audubon and the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Goodrich parcel was identified as having habitat that would support these species of birds.  It also had invasive plants that were affecting the quality of habitat available to the birds.  Audubon recommended that the grant funds be used on this parcel to support the regional conservation efforts, and the partnership agreed.  Audubon then teamed up with both the Winooski Valley Park District (WVPD) and the USFWS to actually remove the targeted plant species. 

This work occurred in November 2020, and was mainly focused on removing honeysuckle and buckthorn plants.  There was some removal of pine, which was recommended to create clusters of shrubs that these bird species prefer.  In total, three days of invasive removal work were completed.  In addition to this removal, the WVPD held a planting event that crossed over from the Muddy Brook Wetland Reserve into the Goodrich parcel.  This effort involved a donation of time and money from the South Burlington Rotary.  They were able to plant 75 stems of speckled alder, red osier dogwood, shrub willow, and buttonbush across the two sites.

This is one of the first regional conservation efforts to-date, and involved multiple partnerships.  The project improves habitat for the noted birds, while also improving the functionality of the existing wetland ecosystem.
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