Photo Credit: Courtesy of Katherine Fredrick
Pulling weeds is fun.
Really--we’re not making this up. Tearing out non-native, invasive plants is productive, and provides protection for parks, plus the act of ripping out an invader provides an emotional rush. The repetition of pulling weeds, however, brings the realization that this might be a long and--if not done quickly--losing battle.
The Fairfax County Park Authority wins some battles before the enemy establishes its stronghold. The Northern Virginia agency has initiated an Early Detection, Rapid Response (EDRR) program to identify and remove small infestations of invasives before they become serious problems.