A huge thank you to the volunteers who came with us to the Aravaipa Canyon Preserve this past weekend to help remove invasive periwinkle (Vinca major) from the canyon.
Our small, but hard working group worked in two parts of the Aravaipa preserve. Our first location was part of an ongoing study to test what is the most effective method of removing vinca. Following a preset protocol on randomly assigned plots, we hand cleared and cut vinca from those areas. These plots will be combined with herbicide treatments and monitored to see what treatment is most effective. We look forward to what we can learn from these experiments!
The work on the plots went quickly, and for the remainder of the weekend, we worked along the creek removing re-sprouted vinca there. Vinca is such a successful invasive plant because it can re-sprout from just a single cutting or bundle of roots. So careful clean up and re-treatment are necessary to make sure we remove it from an area. This leads to time consuming work, as you have to follow and dig up all the roots. However, once it is done, it is very rewarding to see the dent you made.
So thank you again to the volunteers who joined us and look forward to future trips to Aravaipa this winter and spring! If you are interested in volunteering with Sky Island Alliance, please consider signing up for our volunteer opportunities email.