Have you seen the new boot brushing station at Harris? It’s there to keep the trails safe from nuisance species!
Why should you brush your boots?
When you visit a place, mud and dirt can stick to your shoes or get stuck in their treads. This mud and dirt might carry tiny seeds from nuisance plant species. If you walk into a new place without cleaning your boots, those seeds can fall off and take root, introducing nuisance species to a new place.
That’s why boot brushing stations are important! They help stop the spread of nuisance species.
By brushing off your boots before entering a CLC site, you’re removing seeds, soil, and plant material that might spread and cause problems.
What are nuisance species?
Nuisance species are plants and animals that cause harm to nature.
Some of them are introduced, which means they come from somewhere else.
In new places, these species can grow really fast. That’s because they don’t have natural predators or diseases to stop them.
This can lead to:
- habitat loss
- biodiversity loss
- clogged waterways
- and, extinction of native plants
How do I use a boot brushing station?
It’s easy!
Put your boot between the brushes and move it forward and backward a few times. Then switch boots and do it again.
Want to see how it’s done? Watch this video.
Want to learn more?
CLC staff and volunteers work hard to cut down and remove nuisance and introduced species, but it’s not easy!
Some of the plants we are trying to control include:
- autumn olive, a flowering plant that displaces other species.
- multiflora rose, a perennial shrub that crowds out other species.
- Japanese barberry, a deciduous shrub that competes with trees and herbaceous plants.
You can find more about these plants and how they affect Columbia County here!
Join Us!
Want to help keep the trails healthy? Volunteer with CLC!
You can learn how to remove nuisance and introduced species and protect our environment.
Sign up for events and learn more here: https://columbialand.org/events/
