FEATURE: 2024 FRMP Annual Report - Getting a Jump on Pervasive Invasives
In 2024, Montgomery County residents approved a 1.0 mill, 10-year levy that allows Five Rivers MetroParks to maintain safe access to its parks and facilities by:
- Protecting and improving natural areas, wildlife habitats and water quality; - Ensuring safe picnic areas, restrooms, play areas, programs, roads and bridges; - Providing outdoor recreation, education, and festivals; - and keeping knowledgeable, helpful staff. As a conservation agency, protecting natural spaces is at the heart of MetroParks' mission. While all MetroParks staff have a hand in protecting the region's natural heritage, the agency's conservation team is responsible for studying, researching, planning, providing guidance, and often doing the hands-on work necessary to protect - and often restore - precious habitats. For MetroParks' conservation team, the levy's passage was a heartening endorsement of the work they do every day. The team will now receive the funding needed to increase the resiliency and enhance the biodiversity of the agency's natural spaces. "The levy funding puts the habitats within our parks and conservation areas on a whole new trajectory," said MetroParks Director of Conservation Grace Dietsch. "We anticipate a measurable response in wildlife from these habitat improvements." The bulk of MetroParks' conservation efforts focus on removing invasive species due to their impervious nature and adverse effects to healthy, native plants, which best support wildlife and absorb excess carbon from the air. "Aside from habitat loss through development or land clearing, invasive species are the number one threat to biodiversity in our region," said Dietsch. With MetroParks' nearly 16,000 acres of natural space, staying on top of invasive species removal is incredibly challenging, especially because the work needs to be dome over multiple consecutive seasons. Missing even on season of removal or spot treatment can lead to rapid regrowth. "The additional funding allows us to hire teams of local contractors to help manage invasive plant species," Dietsch said. "These contractors specialize in the field of restoring natural areas and conducting conservation work. Some possess many of the same skills and qualifications as our staff, so hiring them is like increasing the capacity of our team to do conservation work in the parks and conservation areas." Removing invasive species also creates opportunities to increase native pollinator plants, which are critical to healthy ecosystems. Insects, birds, and mammals rely on these plants, which also support agriculture by sustaining essential pollinators. With bees and butterflies in Ohio declining by a staggering 30% over the past two decades, cultivating thriving habitats for their survival is more important than ever. "We can restore these prairies in a way that makes them more resilient to future infestations of invasive plants by selecting native plants that are more likely to outcompete due to their growth habits," said Dietsch. "We're being very purposeful and diligent in not only being good stewards of the land, but also how we invest the funds to reduce maintenance costs over the long term." While this work will take several years, the public can expect to see progress begin in fall of 2025. Dietsch also emphasized that it may take time for wildlife to respond to these conservation efforts. "These natural spaces might look worse before they look better due to some of the intense infestations we are dealing with, but we are extremely optimistic about the outcomes and the results the public will see over the next few years." Volunteers can help by lending their hands to invasive species removal opportunities regularly offered on Service Saturdays, Make A Difference Day, and during Adopt-A-Park, as well as at other opportunities throughout the year including regular Trail Work Days which often include corridor clearing - invasive species removal along our trails. Stay up to date on MetroParks conservation projects at metroparks.org/research and levy-related projects at metroparks.org/levy progress. Read more from this year's FRMP Annual Report hot off the presses here.
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