Weantinoge was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Iroquois Pipeline Operating Company to remove Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) from trail corridors at five preserves.

As invasive plants go, it’s hard to find something more irksome to hikers than Japansese barberry. Originally imported for ornamental purposes, the shrub quickly spread into forests. Deer will not eat it, but birds love the berries and spread the seeds far and wide.

Japanese barberry can form dense thickets that change the chemistry of the soil so that native plants cannot grow. Shielded from predators, mice, and the Lyme-infected ticks that feed on them, thrive in the dense, humid microclimate that the plants create. Ticks carrying Lyme disease are 12 times more common in barberry thickets than natural forest. Barberry thickets are almost impossible to hike through, and their thorns inflict painful scratches. Once established, the plant is difficult to eradicate. Despite the harm caused by barberry, this plant is still sold in Connecticut! This grant will enable Weantinoge to focus on specific trail corridors and remove barberry from 10 feet on either side of the trail.

Fear of ticks keep many people out of the woods and away from outdoor recreation. Research overwhelmingly supports the physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits of spending time in nature. Weantinoge is committed to using the best available science to steward our lands and improve our trails so that people can reap the many benefits of time in nature.

The five preserves targeted by this grant are the Kahn Preserve, James Morrissey Preserve, Mount Tom Preserve, the Tory’s Cave and Hunt Preserves, and the Pratt Glen Preserve.