Events

Township hosts Invasives Task Force volunteer training

By The Woodlands Township | January 11, 2021

The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department will host an Invasives Task Force volunteer training on February 20, 2021, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This free online class provides an in-depth look at the invasive plants impacting our green spaces and outlines how to get involved with the Invasives Task Force, a volunteer group working to remove them. The online training is free, but registration is required.

Invasive plants are aliens, species that pervade outside their native environment. Introduced accidentally or intentionally, these plants establish themselves, spread and eventually outcompete native species. They change the soil chemistry, impact water quality and strip our native habitats of the food and shelter that wildlife depend upon.

Last year alone, 80 Invasives Task Force volunteers spent more than 1,000 hours removing invasive plants along pathways, parks and preserves. The Task Force works regularly throughout the year, though members are free to participate as often or as little as they wish. Scouts and other community groups provide support from time to time, as well.

Residents unable to attend the upcoming training or join the Task Force can still have an impact by removing invasive species from their own landscape and replacing them with natives. For help identifying invasive species common to our area, please consult “The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to the Invasive Species of the Galveston Bay” [http://www.galvbayinvasives.org ] by HARC (Houston Advanced Research Center), a local sustainability research organization.

For questions, please contact Teri MacArthur at tmacarthur@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or 281-210-3928. To learn more about the Township’s environmental services programs, please visit https://thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/1147/Environmental-Events.

Invasive species like air potato vines and elephant ears can overgrow and become a threat to native trees and plants. Volunteers are needed to help contain the spread of these plants in The Woodlands.

PHOTO: Invasive species like air potato vines and elephant ears can overgrow and become a threat to native trees and plants. Volunteers are needed to help contain the spread of these plants in The Woodlands.

Source: The Woodlands Township