An energetic group of nine conservationists hiked down to some bottom-land at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve in Cary the morning of Dec. 5th to do a targeted invasive plants removal of Japanese honeysuckle. Led by Angela Hawkins, Lead Park Attendant, the group first observed the amazing ecosystem of the bluffs, enabled by the north-facing microclimate existing there. They then descended down the long staircase to the floodplain and tackled a large area, each filling a large trash bag with the unearthed honeysuckle plants to make room for more native plants and ephemeral spring flowers to get established.
As a bonus, at the end, Angela led the team on a special side hike to observe amphibians. The park has placed small squares of plywood to create micro-habitats for them to lay their eggs and overwinter, and we peeked under several of these. You could see the embryonic marbled salamanders moving around within their eggs, which have a transparent casing! We also found an American millipede curled up for the season.
A great time was had by all, and the team made a significant dent in the invasives in the process. Come join us on future workday – we have fun together and all are welcome!
South Wake Conservationists 