Friday, August 27, 2010

Invasives, unwanted exotics; all make a variety of pollutants

Follow the news and learn there is more to the term "unwanted" than ruptured oil lines or illegal dumping.
We have been through the purple loosestrife, a beautiful plant imported to help with erosion problems. But once it's established it brings with it another set of problems. It takes over wherever it grows.
Nothing will combat it short of manually digging the things out and tossing them. The clue to this plant being a problem should have been it's looks.
It's really quite nice to look at with it's lush, purple flowers. Anything that nice looking has to have a downside, and this one certainly does.
So does autumn olive found growing wild in or near many of our parks. That's why the DNRE hold special work days for the public to get involved and help remove this pesky plant.
Now certain animals, alligators, snakes and others are being released once they outgrow their surroundings.
Brought here probably illegally, wild animals are just that, wild. Once they begin to grow and get out of the cute, cuddly stage-although I can't imagine a snake or gator being cute and cuddly-their natural instincts kick in.
They look for opportunities to hunt for a meal all the while not taking kindly to any human interference whether it's meant as help or not.
Don't bring plants home from elsewhere to plant in your yard or on your property, And leave those exotic animals where they live. Don't try to domestic them. Sooner or later, just like a teenager, they grow up and want their independence.
Don't deprive them of the natural, wild life they are intended to live.

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