KWWIP & IDNR Host Weed Wrangle At Tri-County Fish & Wildlife
KWWIP & IDNR Host Weed Wrangle At Tri-County Fish & Wildlife
Posted
Staff Report-
KWWIP & IDNR Host Weed Wrangle At Tri-County Fish & WildlifeKosciusko Water and Woodland Invasive Partnership (KWWIP) and Kosciusko County Velo (KCV) have partnered to protect the woods and riparian areas of the Winona Lake Trails.
KWWIP is partnering with individuals and organizations throughout the community to manage both terrestrial and aquatic invasive species in Kosciusko County. In March, the two co-hosted a Weed Wrangle Indiana event, and now they’ve installed boot and tire cleaning stations at the three major trailheads, according to a news release from KWWIP.
A grant from the Arrowhead RC&D group to KWWIP allowed them to purchase the cleaning stations and signs. Volunteers installed them alongside informational signs about the most common invasive species found in the Winona Lake Trails.
The cleaning stations are designed to help remove invasive species seeds that can be trapped in the treads of shoes, boots and tires. Visitors to the trails are encouraged to vigorously scrub their footwear and tire treads before and after entering the trails. This simple action can prevent bringing more invasive species into and out of the Winona Lake Trails.
The informational signs teach visitors how to identify various invasive species, as well as highlighting their negative impacts on the natural areas.
Community partnerships like this are critical in the preservation of natural areas in the community the release states. Sharing knowledge, tools, expertise and volunteers allows separate groups to enhance their impact together.
For more information on efforts at the Winona Lake Trails, visit www.winonalaketrails.com, www.kcvcycling.org and kwwip.org.
For information on future events or invasive species management, contact Dugan Julian at dugan@sicim.info or 574-527-0781.
