Hi,

First let me say there are no bird sightings in this post.  If you feel the
list serve is only for sightings you can either ignore this missive or go
here:

http://www.ohiobirds.org/site/emaillist.php#guidelines

and carefully READ the guidelines.

That said...

The cutting at Headlands dunes has stopped, for now.  Thank you ODNR for
listening, being responsive, and delaying the removal of the invasive
honeysuckle.  However this incident brings up a major issue the entire Ohio
birding community should be concerned about and involved in.  That is
invasive plant species in our natural areas, preserves, and state parks.

Why should birders care?  The Headlands incident is a prefect example.
 While invasive plants provide needed forage cover for birds, they are non
native and do not provide the best possible habitat for attracting birds.
 People in charge of  keeping natural areas in a natural state, hate
invasive plants and seek to eliminate them. Further they see our beloved
birds as a primary vector in spreading these invasives.  The attitude of
land managers is get rid of it and hope something else comes up, if it
comes back get rid of it again.

From the bird lover's perspective this seems like insanity, that is, doing
the same thing and hoping for a different result.  We ask: Why not plant
native stock rather than using the strategy of cut and hope?

Here is the crux and where birders need to get involved.  The simply is no
native stock available.  It is not gown by nurseries or greenhouses.  So
there is not an alternative to cut and hope.

What can we do?  I don't know, I have some ideas, but during this biggest
week in American Birding I am hoping this becomes a topic of discussion
among all the birders who are gathered in our state.  What do they do
elsewhere?  What might work?  How can efforts to create native plant stock
be funded?

If there is something all birders agree upon it is that we want high
quality habitat for our birds.  The next question is: Are we as a community
willing to put up the brain power, the time, and the money to create or
restore that habitat in our state's natural areas and preserves our birds
depend upon?

So when you see that Garlic Mustard, Honeysuckle or Glossy Buckthorn, ask
what can we do?  While we don't want these invasives in our favorite bird
habitat, we do want plants so we have bugs to feed the birds.  There must
be a solution.  What is it?

Haans Petruschke
Kirtland

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