The grassroots efforts fueling invasive plant management across Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- At first glance, Anne Wright’s park site is easy to miss -- a thick carpet of brown leaves, mature trees and few traces of green in the sparse undergrowth. But not long ago, this area was completely overtaken by invasive plant species like English ivy, likely introduced from the yards of nearby homes. 

As a former biology professor at VCU and one of the founding members of the Invasive Plant Task Force, a community-based coalition to defend native ecosystems, Wright oversees invasive plant management of a site along the Buttermilk Trail. Her steady efforts over the last decade have turned the area into a blank slate for native plants to return. 

Invasive plant species have been rapidly swallowing Richmond’s green spaces for years, squashing crucial biodiversity. As an essential part of the food chain, wildlife have evolved to consume native plants, keeping their population in check. Since non-natives are often unsavory to wildlife, they can outcompete native species and have dramatic, cascading effects on an ecosystem’s overall health.

Without adequate city funding for the James River Park System (JRPS), volunteer groups stepped in, confronting the issue from the grassroots up.

Scattered efforts

The Invasive Plant Task Force has operated locally for over a decade. It was founded by a group of local residents who, unable to ignore the degradation of native ecosystems, opted to mobilize. Members identified the most invaded areas in the JRPS and put boots on the ground, organizing volunteer removal events and spreading awareness on invasive plant management. 

Today, the Task Force mainly serves as an advisory council within the broader Friends of The James River Park (FOJRP) nonprofit organization. Even without city funding, its members’ dedication and advocacy efforts paved the way for a more formalized response: the Invasive Species Management (ISM) team within the FOJRP. 

“They are the reason why our team actually exists,” said Catherine McGuigan, the ISM team’s program coordinator. “They advocated really strongly for there to be paid staff that can be dedicated to doing this kind of work year-round, 24/7.”

With a higher capacity for volunteer outreach, McGuigan said the ISM team is currently developing a program to train individuals to practice invasive plant management independently in the parks. 

One of the most promising strides taken in local invasive management occurred last summer with the creation of the Natural Resource Management Plan (NRMP) -- a document that outlines a more coordinated, data-driven approach to environmental issues across the established park system and city as a whole. 

The NRMP, which was funded by the FOJRP and developed with guidance from “scientific experts, City staff, and community partners” – like the task force – also aims to formalize collaboration between the city-funded park system and local environmental groups like FOJRP. 

“It's a good way for an organization -- for the city to or for the park -- to advocate for things that need to happen,” McGuigan said. “It gives us that extra backing, which is important.”

Although McGuigan and her team frequently work alongside city park deputies and staff to follow the NRMP’s recommendations, they have yet to see a resolution for the city to officially adopt it within their park system. 

It’s a strange position for the ISM team to occupy at the moment, McGuigan said, operating as a unit of the park system without actually being city employees; being funded by FOJRP but mostly working independently from them. 

“We just don’t have a good home anywhere,” McGuigan said. “That’s kind of something we’ve been talking about a lot lately … How do we identify ourselves and who do we identify with?”

McGuigan acknowledged that the city currently lacks the capacity to fully institutionalize invasive species management as outlined in the NRMP. But she remains hopeful. 

“It seems like the city is in a trajectory of … more seriously prioritizing that kind of work,” McGuigan said. 

RELATED: 13 species added to Virginia Invasive Plant Species List

Growing pains

Following last year’s legislation that requires plant sellers to label any plant on the Virginia Invasives List, multiple bills to combat invasives were signed into law by Gov. Abigail Spanberger this week. This is largely thanks to the lobbying efforts of local and state-wide environmental groups like Blue Ridge PRISM.

• House Bill 109, patroned by Del. Holly Seibold, expands Virginia’s noxious weed list by closing a commercial viability loophole.
• Senate Bill 89 and House Bill 388, patroned by Sen. Saddam Salim and Del. Katrina Callsen, expand powers of public service districts to include invasive plant control. 
• House Bill 88, patroned by Del. Amy Laufer and Seibold, allows for the management of roadside invasive plants in the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). 
• Senate Bill 163, patroned by Sen. Ryan McDougle, allows volunteers to assist with invasive plant control on state-owned lands through supervised use of controlled herbicides. 

The bills, which will go into effect on July 1, mainly aim to prevent further introduction and proliferation of invasives in Virginia landscapes. However, Laura Greenleaf, one of the task force founders, acknowledges the limitations of the new legislation.

“It’s really important that VDOT can’t plant invasive plants, but our state roadways are already choked,” Greenleaf said, noting how rapidly these species continue to spread.

On paper, the legislation is still a win. But Greenleaf echoed McGuigan -- for direct management, there would have to be a colossal investment in resources from the state. 

“There’s no question that it’s progress, but it’s incremental progress,” Greenleaf said. “There has to be all hands on deck… This is a federal, state, regional, local problem.” 

In Richmond, Greenleaf describes the current state of invasive management as “transitional.” In the last decade, community members have stepped up to the plate in numerous ways --fundraising, volunteering and raising awareness about the havoc these species wreak in natural areas. But in order to solve the problem, Greenleaf said nonprofits cannot continue bearing the weight on their own, as stewardship would need to happen at the city level. 

Greenleaf also acknowledged that the city’s current capacity for allocating resources to the invasive plant mission is limited, especially when issues like affordable housing, schools and public safety have to be “at the top of the list.”

For now, the direct management of invasive species will continue to fall mostly on volunteers and -- just as importantly -- homeowners. 

Good roots

Woolly Bear Natives garden (Audrey Polverari)

Henry Winfiele started gardening at his first apartment in The Fan District, working with a 10x10-foot space of city dirt. He envisioned a “nice European-style garden” that would attract butterflies, bees and other insects. 

Winfiele’s non-native plants struggled in the garden’s shaded, clay-heavy soil, but his natives thrived, attracting the pollinators he sought to make a haven for. Eventually, he replaced all exotic species with Virginia and East Coast natives. 

Today, Winfiele and his partner run Woolly Bear Natives, a native-plant nursery where they cultivate and experiment with local species, finding which can fill the roles of popular non-natives in people’s landscapes.  

“I really enjoy engaging people and learning more about native plants and our ecosystems,” Winfiele said. “There’s a lot of really cool native plants that aren’t in cultivation, mostly because the landscaping industry focuses on things that make money.”

The nursery trade is almost fully responsible for the introduction of some of the worst invasive plants seen taking over wild spaces across the country and the world, Winfiele said.

English ivy was brought to the U.S. by settlers nearly three centuries ago. Even today, it is marketed as a low-maintenance, shade-tolerant ground cover. Winter creeper -- a fan-least-favorite of many Task Force and ISM members for its difficulty to remove -- was also introduced as an evergreen ornamental.

Both now run rampant across wooded areas, choking out trees, saplings and other natives that once scattered forest floors. 

English ivy (Audrey Polverari)

Callery pear (Audrey Polverari)

Winter creeper (Audrey Polverari)

The infamous Callery (or Bradford) pear -- known for its brief white blooms and offensive odor -- was initially marketed as a sterile tree, which is a common defense for the cultivation of non-natives, according to Winfiele. However, when the trees started cross-pollinating with other pear varieties, they quickly infiltrated the East.

“Nature is just not that easy to contain,” Winfiele said. 

By the time it’s an identifiable problem, these plants are already commonly sold in stores and sought after, which has historically made them more difficult to ban or restrict. It's the problem HB 109 addressed.

“Thankfully, there is a promising increase in movement in the last few years to label and ban sales of invasives,” Winfiele said. “There’s a riding demand to make native plants more commonly available to retailers and gardeners.” 

While the recent legislation and growing grassroots movements give reason for cautious optimism about the future of invasive management in Virginia, Winfiele said the solution starts with awareness. It's something he strives to spread by teaching customers about the importance of biodiversity and planting natives.

For homeowners confronting the often-overwhelming task of removal, Winfiele recommends doing it at their own pace and budget. 

“A garden is really a work cultivated in time. You don’t need to do everything all at once,” Winfiele said. “Any amount you do is progress, even if it’s just learning more about invasive plants.”