LYME — (from a press release issued by Friends of Whalebone Cove) The two-year community effort by volunteers to save Hadlyme’s Selden Cove and Selden Creek from being covered by a carpet of invasive water chestnut plants is achieving success.
After three “Paddle & Pull” work parties involving 25 volunteers in June and July, an inspection of Selden Cove and Creek last Thursday revealed almost no new plants have emerged in the last week. See photo below.
As a result, Friends of Whalebone Cove (FOWC) cancelled the “Paddle & Pull” work party scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Last year at this time a large portion of Selden Cove was covered by 5,000 – 7,000 square feet of water chestnut. See photo at head of article.
The FOWC has organized a total of 13 “Paddle & Pull” work parties in 2019 and 2020 involving almost 60 volunteers, who have put in more than 200 hours to remove water chestnut plants from both the Cove and the Creek.
Diana Fiske, FOWC President, expressed gratitude to all the volunteers who have pitched in to save Selden Cove and Selden Creek, saying, “It takes a village … There are so many people to thank for this effort. You know who you are, but I want to personally thank each and every one of you myself and thank the Connecticut River Conservancy for its support that has been critical in our work.”
She concluded, “Thank you all!”
Water chestnut — which dramatically impacts marine and upland wildlife anywhere it gets established — has invaded and taken over many other locations in the Connecticut River.
Friends of Whalebone Cove has managed to prevent water chestnut from getting established in Whalebone Cove and wants to reclaim those parts of Selden Cove where it has gotten a permanent foothold in recent years, because if it is allowed to spread, it is hard to eradicate and will change the ecology the two fresh water tidal wetlands and destroy the habitat eco-systems which species that live in the area rely on to survive.
Water chestnut is an annual plant, but its seeds can remain viable for 12 years, and each plant has enough seeds to produce 300 new plants in a future year.
This means that Selden Cove and Selden Creek will need to be monitored for the next two months for “late emerging” plants, and there will need to be volunteer work parties in future years to remove newly emerging plants from latent seeds dropped in prior years that could start massive new infestations.
Future “Paddle & Pull” work party dates scheduled in Selden Cove are:
August
Thursday 8/20 – 12 Noon
Rain Date: Fri. 8/21 – 1 p.m.
September
Thursday 9/3 – 12 Noon
Rain Date: Fri. 9/4 – 1 p.m.
Tuesday 9/29 – 9AM
Rain Date: Wed. 9/30 – 10 a.m.
If you would like to volunteer to help FOWC, send an email to: [email protected]