Join the Tree Rescue Extravaganza and remove invasives

Come out and help your neighbors save a tree! Fairfax Tree Rescuers PRISM is sponsoring the countywide Tree Rescue Extravaganza II from Oct. 3 to Nov. 1.

PRISM, which stands for Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management, is a coalition of agencies, nonprofits, and residents who come together to tackle invasive species in a region.

Local tree rescue groups invite residents to volunteer during the extravaganza period.

“It’s fun, gratifying, makes an immediate difference, and no experience is needed. With an estimated one million trees at risk, we need hundreds of neighbors to lend a hand,” says Jo Doumbia, of the Fairfax Tree Rescuers PRISM.

Tree rescuing events will be held throughout the county. The schedule is listed on the Tree Rescuers website.

Related story: New resources available for invasive plant management

An article by Patricia Greenberg, manager of the Invasive Plant Program at the Fairfax County Park Authority, posted online Sept. 30 explains why invasive plants are a problem:

• Loss of songbirds – Scientists have found that the berries from many invasive plants are like junk food for birds, and some can be toxic. They fill birds up but don’t give them the nutrients they need for migration.  

• More Lyme disease – Areas full of invasive plants increase habitat for ticks, which can increase the risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.

• Loss of trees – Vines can climb up trees and smother them, blocking sunlight and adding heavy weight.

• Fewer native flora and fauna – When invasive plants spread, there are fewer native plants. That means fewer birds, fewer pollinators like bees and butterflies, fewer insects, and fewer bats.

There are several ways to address the takeover of invasive plants, Greenberg says, such as replacing invasives with native plants and volunteering with a local tree-rescue group.  

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