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Forest Savers LLC from Woodstock, Vermont uses a custom-built tractor to uproot and shred invasive shrubs at the Oyster River Forest in Durham, NH as part of a 60-acre restoration project to restore a healthy native plant community to benefit pollinators, songbirds, and the state-endangered New England cottontail. 

Reducing Invasive Plants and Recovering a Healthy Plant Community

September 15, 2020 in Designing Ecological Landscapes, Developing Healthy Landscapes, Installing and Maintaining Landscapes, Land Management, Landscape Challenges, Landscape Maintenance, Landscaping for Wildlife, Restoration

By Ellen Snyder

In southeastern New Hampshire, where I work with landowners and communities on land stewardship, managing invasive plants is a constant struggle. As the Land Stewardship Coordinator for the Town of Durham, I’m guiding three restoration projects on town conservation land. It was hard not to be overwhelmed by the pervasiveness of invasive plants on all three properties. To avoid invasive paralysis, I keep my focus on the goal: restoration of a place to a mostly self-sustaining, healthy plant community.  The reward is a restored landscape brimming with native plants and native beneficial insects. 

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From left: A garden of anise hyssop, little bluestem, sneezeweed, boneset in front of smooth hydrangea. 

Lessons Learned on A Native Plant Journey

August 14, 2020 in Designing Ecological Landscapes, Installing and Maintaining Landscapes, Landscape Challenges, Landscaping for Wildlife, Native Plants, Restoration

By Cathy Weston

A visit to  Cape Cod brings us to a  2-acre fallow farmland property where the homeowner/gardener has spent years cutting back invasive plants to return the land from an Old Field habitat to a Coastal Woodland.  The amount of effort to remove and keep invasives at bay could seem a daunting task, but this homeowner persevered and with trial and error created a beautiful ecological habitat for both herself and the wildlife her property now calls home. 

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A blue heron in the wetlands as they appear today. Photo by Pam Morris Olshefski. 

Restoring the Wetlands of Morris Arboretum

July 16, 2020 in Designing Ecological Landscapes, Developing Healthy Landscapes, Land Management, Landscaping for Wildlife, Managing Water in the Landscape, Public Gardens and Parks, Restoration

by Eloise Gayer

Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania is well known for its abundance of mature trees and horticultural displays. In 2001 the Arboretum began the restoration of a drained wetland that would not only serve as a blueprint for other wetland restoration projects but also create more educational opportunities for the entire community. Learn about the history of this wetland, that was farmland at the turn of the century then one hundred years later was reverted back into a natural wetland.

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Planting Edible Native Species – A Case Study from Massachusetts

May 15, 2020 in Designing Ecological Landscapes, Developing Healthy Landscapes, Edible Landscaping, Restoration

by Russ Cohen

A newly daylighted stream at Willard’s Woods in Lexington, MA presented a serendipitous opportunity for introduction of edible native plants to the conservation area. At a double session focused on propagating and planting edible native plant species, Russ Cohen and co-presenter Georgia Hann included this 2017 project at ELA’s 2020 Conference & Eco-Marketplace in March. Here, Russ follows up the conference session with a deeper dive into the Willard’s Woods project.

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Goats Weeks Autumn 2 

Goats as an Ecological Management Option for Invasive Plants

September 16, 2019 in Developing Healthy Landscapes, Invasive Plants, Landscape Challenges, Restoration

by Sandy Vorce

“Gotta get a goat” was the author’s mantra a decade ago as she struggled against bittersweet, buckthorn, and multiflora rose to regain a portion of meadow at Mass Audubon’s property in Belmont, MA. Her wish was granted, and the property now successfully utilizes a four-hoofed crew for control of invasive plants. Read the article.

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Robert W. PRO waterfall 2019 summerDSC05715 

Native Plants Shine in Streambank Restoration

September 16, 2019 in Designing Ecological Landscapes, Developing Healthy Landscapes, Native Plants, Restoration

by Krissy Boys

Four years after replacement of a streambank water control structure, native grasses, sedges, and forbs planted at the site have become well established. Most species are thriving and have propagated themselves by self-sowing in the streambank gardens. Only two species out of 58 genera completely failed.

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Wildflower Meadow Swamp Milkweed 8-6-18 

From Wasteland to Wildflower Meadow at Greenfield Community College

September 16, 2019 in Designing Ecological Landscapes, Developing Healthy Landscapes, Native Plants, Restoration

by Maureen Sundberg

A campus wildflower meadow tucked onto a slope at Greenfield Community College was designed as part of a larger outdoor learning lab that includes a botanical garden, wetland garden, permaculture garden, and raingarden. Two years after planting, the meadow has become an oasis of learning for students across the academic spectrum.

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Successful Management and Maintenance of Invaded Sites Starts with a Plan

September 15, 2017 in Restoration

by Theresa Sprague Over the past seven years the team at BlueFlax Design LLC has managed a multitude of landscapes degraded by invasive plant species. We have managed sites for species including shrub and vine honeysuckle, porcelainberry, Asiatic bittersweet, border privet, autumn olive, black swallowwort, Japanese knotweed, and others. Four years ago we were introduced…

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Ecological Restoration: A Landscape Architect’s Perspective

September 15, 2017 in Restoration

by Anne Penniman ‘Habitat loss is the leading cause of both species extinctions and ecosystem service decline. The two ways to reverse this trend of habitat loss are conservation of currently viable habitat and restoration of degraded habitats.’ (Wikipedia) Landscape architects confront distressed and disturbed landscapes on a frequent basis. The ideal project involves a…

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Expanding Riparian Forest Buffers in the Merrimack River Watershed

September 15, 2017 in Restoration

by Alex Krofta The “Expanding Riparian Forest Buffers” project is being led by the Merrimack River Watershed Council (MRWC) in partnership with Nashua River Watershed Association, UNH Cooperative Extension, and MassDCR. The three main phases of the project are 1) Prioritization of seven HUC12 subwatersheds for protection and restoration; 2) Outreach to towns and landowners about…

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