The Invasives – Poison Hemlock & Cow Parsley
It’s time for a change of pace. Today we’re going to talk about two invasive plants that look so similar but which have drastically different consequences. Both can be found in our Open Space parks.
Poison Hemlock v. Cow Parsley — can you tell the difference? Here’s an article written for Foothills Living Magazine; we’ve been given permission to post as a public service.
Poison Hemlock_Cow Parsley_Aug24 18Why be concerned about this, or any other invasive plant? They’re called invasives because they’ve moved into an ecosystem within which they did not evolve, usually with help from human activity. When this happens, when an invasive finds a new environment within which it can thrive, it’s usually without the lifestyle controls with which it evolved. Without these restraints, the invasive not only thrives, it takes over and overwhelms indigenous plants, sometimes to extinction. The plant-eating critters that evolved with the indigenous plants may not be able to tolerate the invasives, and they, too, fail to thrive. The carnivores who feed on the plant-eaters begin to fail…and so it goes, like a stack of dominoes. That’s why invasives — the plants — need to be controlled and in the worst cases, eliminated.
For more information from Jeffco Open Space on invasive plant species, go to https://www.jeffco.us/2007/Noxious-Weed-Identification
So when you’re trekking in the Jeffco Open Space Parks, keep your eyes peeled for these lovely but, in some cases, deadly invasives — and don’t touch!
The PLAN Jeffco Monthly – April 2024
What’s New in the Blogosphere?
Earth Day 2024 Fun at Crown Hill
SLASH 2024 is on its way!
Bird Family with an Attitude: The Corvids
Download your copy of the April 2024 PLAN Jeffco Monthly newsletter here
Earth Day 2024 Fun at Crown Hill
Your PLAN Jeffco Board members (left to right) Cathi Schramm, Michelle Poolet, and Courtney App, get ready to head out into Crown Hill Park to plant trees and shrubs.
What were you doing on the Saturday before Earth Day, 2024? Three of your PLAN Jeffco Board members joined 124 other Jeffco Open Space volunteers to plant more than 350 (some say as many as 600?) native trees, shrubs and forbs (grass plugs) at Crown Hill Open Space Park, along with multiple patches of native wildflowers.
The day was dark and gloomy, but the planting crew trudged on through the snow and mud…
Despite the cold and snow, 127 conservation enthusiasts weathered the chilly temperatures, including 50 Columbine High School students. Traipsing through the snow and mud, lead by JCOS Natural Resource and Trails staffers, we got the job done before the snowfall resumed in the early afternoon.
One more Rocky Mountain Glow maple tree planted — hurray!
Initial success was measured by the feeling of accomplishment as a tree – in this case, a Rocky Mountain Glow maple – went into the ground. With luck and average annual rainfall (the trees on the east end of the park will not get any supplimental water), this maple will grow 20 to 30 feet tall, and will bear reddish-gold leaves in the fall. The chokecherry, wax current, rabbit brush and potentilla will grace the park with their flowers and fruit, while providing food and shelter for the smaller native inhabitants of the park.
The morning’s wet and cold and muddy activities wound up with a hot lunch buffet, catered by Illegal Pete’s and served by staffers from the JCOS Communications Team. The food was delicious – roasted meats, rice and beans, and Pete’s famous fajita and primavera veggies were top of the line, with plenty to go around. To top off the meal, the chocolate chip cookies were baked to the chewy stage, so good that they begged you to have another one.
It might be safe to say that, despite the inclement conditions, everyone at the Earth Day event had a good time.
Our thanks to JCOS and the Natural Resource, Trails and Communications teams for organizing and executing this 2024 Earth Day activity, and for upholding the meaning and intent of Earth Day.
From National Geographic Education encyclopedia: “Earth Day is an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 in the United States and on either April 22 or the day the spring equinox occurs throughout the rest of the world.”
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/earth-day/
Miss Mountain Manners says: “This coming summer, when you’re strolling around Crown Hill Open Space park, look for native wildflowers on the north side, along 32nd Avenue, across from Wheat Ridge High School — but don’t pick the flowers! In the fall, as you walk the trails on the southeast side of the park, please stop and admire the red-gold leaves of the young maple trees and the brushy golden flowers of the rabbitbrush. Be proud of being a part of Jeffco Open Space.”
The PLAN Jeffco Monthly – March 2024
What’s New in the Blogosphere?
Ann Bonnell Lived a Life of Service
Pioneer PLAN Jeffco Board Member John Litz
ENOR Turns 50!
2024 Conservation Awards Ceremony Pays Tribute to John Litz
Video of the Month: Clear Creek Canyon Park – Huntsman Segment – Construction Update 2.1.2024
Download your copy of the March 2024 PLAN Jeffco Monthly newsletter here
Ann Bonnell Lived A Life of Service
Ann Bonnell’s death on December 26th, 2023, at the age of 85, left a gaping hole in the heart of the Jefferson County birding community and in the hearts of her fellow PLAN Jeffco Board members.
Ann’s life was focused on family and service. As a high school biology teacher and volunteer Water Safety Instructor for those with special needs, she was able to reach into the lives of many, passing along her belief in service, empathy, and passion for the outdoors and all that it encompasses. Her specific focus, as we at PLAN Jeffco knew her, was birds – birding, leading Tuesday Birders, and teaching about bird life. Read more
