Submitted by Katie Digianantonio
(April 5, 2025) — The Killingworth Land Conservation Trust, Killingworth Conservation Commission and Parmelee Farm are co-sponsoring a free workshop at Parmelee Farm on Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to address the invasive vines at Parmelee Farm. Meet at the Schoolhouse.
You will learn how to identify and control the vines, and help clear those threatening trees at the Farm. Please dress to protect yourself from thorny underbrush, such as tennis shoes and gloves. Bring clippers if you have them!
Adult trees store carbon, purify air, and remove a lot of CO2 from the air, as compared to immature trees and other plants. They are also important for birds (who nest in trees and eat insects), insects (that pollinate trees and feed birds/bats/other wildlife), and other wildlife (squirrels, chipmunks, deer, turkey that eat nuts). It is just as important to save adult trees in addition to planting seedlings.
Invasive vines choke adult trees by robbing them of sunlight and ground nutrients. They also outcompete understory plants and immature trees, which reduces forest diversity. Invasive vines aggressively spread via seeds through bird droppings. Native vines, such as poison ivy, are also loved by native wildlife, but have co-evolved with trees and won’t kill them.
The public will benefit from the education and skills presented in this workshop to protect forests and wildlife on their own property.
