Speaking for our nation as a beacon for the world’s democracies, President John F. Kennedy projects unbridled fervor for furthering human life in a free society.
Just as tyranny lurks in human societies, the seeds of invasive alien organisms threaten to overtake indigenous ecosystems—the homes—of co-evolved native plants, animals, and other life forms. The spirit of JFK’s address inspires us as we work to assure the survival and sustainability of native landscapes.
TIME SENSATIVE ALERT: The Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions 2025 Annual Environmental Conference is convening today, March 1, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in Worcester. Walk-ins are welcome.
Swamp milkweed (Aeslepias incarnata) with monarch butterflies, pictured above, could, to my mind, be among a community of native plants to be established along roadsides to counter the stiltgrass invasion now threatening ecosystems. So-called swamp milkweed flourishes in landscapes beyond the “swamp” moniker.
Prepare to be a scout for stiltgrass in your community and along trails on public lands.
Stiltgrass (Mary’s grass, microstegium, Nepal microstegium, Nepaleze browntop, Japanese stiltgrass, or Vietnamese grass) infestations line roadsides, and seeds are traveling through culverts into streams, meadows, and forests. Plants are visible in summer; however, follow the link below to be immersed in the interface of stiltgrass and the roads we travel—an informative study indispensable to citizens interested in protecting a biodiverse landscape and essential to ecologists and conservation commissions.
Please access the recently released “Invasive Species Vector Assessment: Japanese Stilt Grass.” It is a guide in support of biodiversity by elucidating the relationship between landscape drainage, infrastructure, streams, and invasive species.
