Press release:
Volunteer Opportunity: Garlic Mustard Pull on Earth Day at Roan Mountain State Park
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and partners offer volunteer workday in the Highlands of Roan
Roan Mountain, TN – On Saturday, April 22, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) is partnering with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, US Forest Service, and Roan Mountain State Park to remove invasive garlic mustard from the park and heavily trafficked highways around Carvers Gap and SAHC conservation properties in the Highlands of Roan. The volunteer workday begins at 9:30 am. Plucking out these pesky invaders when they’re young and tender isn’t hard work, but it does take a lot of hands.
“Garlic mustard is an onerous, non-native species that can quickly outcompete native species, reducing biodiversity and adversely affecting the integrity of our ecosystems,” says SAHC Roan Stewardship Director Marquette Crockett. “Removing garlic mustard from thoroughfares such as Roan Mountain State Park and public roadsides is crucial to controlling the establishment and spread of this invasive species in our area.”
Volunteers can sign up online at Appalachian.org, or for questions/more info contact Marquette Crockett at Marquette@appalachian.org or 828.253.0095 ext 210.
Schedule:
9:30 to 9:45 – Introduction, safety orientation, and group assignments. Volunteers will be briefed, divided into groups, and dispersed across the Park and along public roadsides to pull garlic mustard.
9:45 am-1:00 pm — Work on pulling garlic mustard.
1:00 to 2:00 — Lunch and “weigh in” of bags of removed garlic mustardEquipment/Precautions: Please bring your own snacks, lunch and bottled water. Work gloves and trash bags will be provided. Feel free to bring personal gloves or a trowel. Pulling garlic mustard is usually easy, but a trowel can be helpful for compacted roadside soil and stubborn roots. You will need a hat and/or sunscreen, long pants, sturdy shoes, and extra layers/rain gear as appropriate. If you are allergic to poison ivy, consider wearing long sleeves and pants. You may want a bag to keep your items with you throughout the day, as it may be difficult to return to your car while we are working. Some work sites are very steep. First aid kits will be on site.
More event info can be found at: Appalachian.org/event/volunteer-work-day-garlic-mustard-pull-roan/
About Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy:
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is a non-profit land trust. Since 1974, SAHC has protected over 70,000 acres of unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, farmland and places for outdoor recreation of the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. For more info, visit Appalachian.org.
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