Archive for January 25th, 2011

Fish/Wildlife: Invasive Species

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

This is Passport to Texas

Austin’s Camp Fire USA Balcones Teens in Action recently eradicated invasive plants from Griffin School and Waller Creek and replaced them with native plants that are better for the natural environment.

The project was a part of the Texas Healthy Habitat’s program, and Campfire Team Program Manager Lavert Rodgers says it was a huge success.

After we put in the plants, it really looked pretty good. It looks natural, and that’s the best way I can say it because it looks like it works there.

And beauty wasn’t the only benefit.

There was actually a lot of wildlife that returned to that area, which was kind of neat. In the beginning there wasn’t much wildlife but then we started seeing some different insects, some different birds, and even in the little creek area there were some fish that started to come back.

The project’s student leader Dung Le (Yoong, Ley) is a senior at Griffin School. She says she learned a lot from the project.

Now I am able to identify the invasive plants, at least the major ones in Texas. That’s not something everybody knows and I’m glad I am able to do it.

As it turns out, you can combine conservation, education and fun.

That’s our show… the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program supports our series… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.