Invasive species pose a serious problem Vermont’s natural communities along with livelihoods of humans and wildlife alike in direct and indirect ways. Managing invasive species is crucial to protecting, restoring, and helping maintain resilient natural landscapes that make Vermont a beautiful and bountiful place. With nearly 80% of Vermont land being privately owned, private landowners play a critical role in the management of invasive species across the state.
In this workshop, we’ll be learning all about the basics and different management approaches related to Vermont’s most common terrestrial invasive plant species. This workshop will be led by experts Mike Bald, founder of Got Weeds?, and Tom Groves, Woodland Services Division Manager for Long View Forest. This will take place in the field with hands-on demonstrations and active opportunities to learn. Space is limited! This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Grafton Improvement Association.
Saturday, August 7th, 9 - 2
At The Nature Museum
Sliding scale, $10 $15 $20 Grafton Residents - FREE
Note: We will be visiting surrounding natural areas as part of this program. Areas we explore may not be shaded, have uneven/unlevel terrain, and have variable ground conditions. Unless there is hazardous weather, this program will occur rain or shine. Please come with proper footwear, clothing, water, and food to keep you safe and comfortable as we may be away from facilities for long periods of time. We will be taking a break for lunch. Feel free to bring a packed lunch or you can purchase lunch from the MKT general store nearby in town.
About the Presenters
Mike Bald, Owner and Founder of Got Weeds? in Royalton, Vermont
Michael Bald founded his company, Got Weeds?, in early 2011 to offer non-chemical weed management options to landowners in central Vermont and New Hampshire. His focus is on long-term site stewardship, soil health, and native plant diversity; Mike seeks to integrate the worlds of invasive species, youth education, organic farming, and sustainable operations. With a BS in Biology from the University of Notre Dame, four years of service in the Army Corps of Engineers, and nine years working for the US Forest Service in Vermont, Mike appreciates the importance of healthy habitats, site specificity and ecosystem resilience. Got Weeds? has offered manual and mechanical weed control alternatives for eleven growing seasons. Although Mike has worked with invasive plant species for the past seventeen years, he has narrowed his focus to the “danger plants”, solarizing as a refined technique, and an “economic opportunities” approach regarding invasive species.
In the educational realm, Mike seeks to educate communities on potential economic uses for invasive species, thus empowering them to broaden management efforts, employ local people, and generate income to feed back into control programs.
Tom Groves, Woodland Services Division Manager for Long View Forest
Tom has worked in the habitat restoration field since 2013, beginning with the New England Wildflower Society (NEWFS) in Framingham, MA. While working for NEWFS, Tom went to school and studied Wildlife Biology. Upon graduation from Framingham State University in 2014, he began work as a habitat restoration technician focusing on invasive plants headquartered in Western, MA. In 2015, Tom began working for Long View Forest in Westminster, Vermont.
Since working for Long View Forest, Tom has expanded a crew that was 1-3 people and a client base that was previously mostly in-house into an eight-person crew and a tri-state client base. On an annual basis, the Woodland Services crew works for the National Wildlife Refuges in all three states, Consulting Foresters, Fish and Wildlife, Vermont FPR, Department of Defense, municipalities and private landowners.
The Woodland Services division, as a whole, manages everything from light infestations with rare, threatened and endangered species present, to heavy monocultures of invasive plants that otherwise might be considered a lost cause. We specialize in being able to tackle any invasive plant infestation no matter the species or density with an eye towards native plant retention and the appropriate herbicide and approach.
Tom will be discussing the use of herbicide in the forest and field setting, utilizing the biology of the species, the appropriate application method to achieve a more manageable density of invasive plants that can potentially allow the landowner to reclaim and manage their land. Tom will also discuss varying methods of chemical application from backpack spraying, cut-stump, bloody glove, and high volume mechanically assisted spraying to achieve desired results.