I can hardly believe that the Garlic Mustard Challenge is nearly complete for 2012! In the southern areas of the Challenge, it’s too late to pull most of the remaining garlic mustard, but there is still dame’s rocket and bittercress to attend to. Meanwhile, folks in the north are still busy pulling and reporting garlic mustard. Additionally, we are still looking for 11 more Garlic Mustard Free sites. It could turn out to be a very exciting final week of the Challenge!
As of today, we have collectively pulled and reported 308,032 pounds!
Keep reading to see how many garlic mustard free sites we have and to see how your cluster is doing in the challenge to bring home the Cluster Cup.
GARLIC MUSTARD FREE SITES
Our goal is to get to 20 Garlic Mustard Free Sites and we are still holding steady at just nine. All you have to do to join the list below is to have no second year plants on the property and send us an email telling us about it. It doesn’t matter which eradication method you used so this is the chance for all of you that are herbiciding, torching, burning or just don’t have garlic mustard to get your name on the charts!
- Mid-Michigan Cluster has three Garlic Mustard Free Sites: Sanford Wood, The Wild Ginger Wetland in Lake Lansing Park North, and Lake Drive around Lake Lansing.
- Lakeplain Cluster has two Garlic Mustard Free Sites: Robbe Farm Floodplain Forest at Lower Huron Metropark and Bobwhite Trail Forest at Lower Huron Metropark
- Headwaters Cluster has two Garlic Mustard Free Sties: Hickory Ridge Woodland at Kensington Metropark and North Windfall Hill Woodland at Kensington Metropark
- West Michigan Cluster has one Garlic Mustard Free Site: Barbara Olson’s 72 Acre neighborhood
- Huron Arbor Cluster has one Garlic Mustard Free Site: Entrance Woods Floodplain Forest at Hudson Mills Metropark
HEAVY WEIGHT DIVISION
Huron Arbor Cluster is refusing to give up their lead after taking it from West Michigan Cluster last week. In an attempt to ensure their win, they even widened their lead some. With just one week to go will West Michigan Cluster be able to regain their lead or does this cup go to Huron Arbor?
MIDDLE WEIGHT DIVISION
Headwaters Cluster is still holding on tight to their lead, but Mid-Michigan Cluster continues to inch ever closer. Will one more week be enough time for them to catch up?
LIGHT WEIGHT DIVISION
Things remain really close in this division. Lakeplain Cluster worked hard this week to keep their lead, but will it be enough with Raisin Cluster hot at their heels?
CWMA DIVISION
Northwest Michigan CWMA made a push this week, but RRIP-IT-UP is still holding on tight!
Just a few final reminders:
- This is the FINAL WEEK of the Garlic Mustard Challenge. Make sure all of your reports are in by midnight on Friday, July 6th.
- If your garlic mustard is dropping seeds, switch your efforts to bittercress and dames rocket and report those too!
- Please stop pulling garlic mustard before the seed pods are bursting open and stay away from it once they do.
- Be sure to label your trash bags as “Invasive Species” when setting them out for curbside pickup.
- Help us to achieve our goal of 20 garlic mustard free sites by emailing garlicmustard@stewardshipnetwork.org to report your sites.
- Click the green button on the top right corner of this page to report your pulls.
- Encourage all of your friends, family, neighbors, and peer organizations to pull their garlic mustard and take part in the challenge!
Garlic Mustard Challenge 