Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2001 08:40:06 -0700 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Gail Mackiernan Subject: Re: Cromwell Valley Park In-Reply-To: <3B9963EE.3CC36105@home.com> Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Hi Peter -- We had a similar problem at Layhill Park in Montgomery Co. In the name of "thistle control" they were mowing the meadows and destroying the habitat. Ironically, it did little to control the thistle since the latter simply sent out bloom stems shorter than the mow height (4-5"), bloomed and set seed everywhere! We went up there with Park naturalist Rob Gibbs and he felt that judicious hand-application of the appropriate herbicide, targeted only to the thistle, would be the best approach. Last year they did not mow and this year there is actually *less* thistle, possibly because of competition from native herbs and grasses or shading of thistle seedlings by the tall, unmowed grass. Hand-removal and perhaps some herbicide application directly to the plants might be the best approach. A weed-control specialist or invasive-plant expert (USDA or USFWS) might be able to advise you. You also have to be sure you are looking at the invasive exotic species of thistle, not one of the several native types. Gail Mackiernan Colesville, MD on 9/7/01 5:18 PM, Peter Lev at plev@HOME.COM wrote: > Several members of the Baltimore Bird Club have been meeting and walking > with Louisa Thompson of Earthhome at Cromwell Valley Park, Baltimore > County. We have been invited to make recommendations about management > of the meadow areas. > > One request we made was to hold off on mowing the large meadow on the > east side of the park (the one with a hill and large rocks on one side) > until early spring. Louisa is willing, but the County and the State > expect her to have a program for controlling thistle-- and there are > clumps of thistle in this meadow. > > So, if you will be birding at Cromwell in the next couple of weeks, we > ask that you take an hour to cut back some thistle. You will need > clippers, gloves, paper bags and bags with handles. Cut the thistle > stalks below any seeds, and carry out what you cut (that's what the bags > are for). This stuff should not be recycled-- put it in the regular > garbage. > > We birders have a wonderful chance to suggest changes at a local park-- > but it comes with some new responsibility. > > Peter Lev > Towson, MD > > ======================================================================= > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ======================================================================= > ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================