February has been a good month. I was able to go visit my 97 year old Grandfather Mallette in Texas this month. It turns out that community service runs in the family. At the senior center there is a framed certificate from the AARP commending Ross Mallette for his years of community service. It is true that grandpa is poor in physical wealth, yet he has had and continues to have a full rewarding life helping people as he is able. One key to a rewarding life might just be helping others.

Now on to report some exciting news, you might have heard that the painted barrels for the Rain Barrel Art Review and Auction have been scattered around various businesses downtown. Check out Julia Karll’s blog for the inside scoop. You also might have heard about the Canoe for Clean Water with MRCN. Check out Rebecca’s blog and the MRCN website (for more information about stuff we do). www.moriver.org. This website is great. Rebecca has done very well learning how to make it work.

This month marked the beginning of my volunteering with TreeKeepers in Columbia, MO. It started with a brief series of classes, followed by a graduation of sorts.

Lance Graduates from TreeKeepers Lance throws a stick

Fortunately tree identification is not a part of the test. One of the best pieces of advice that I was able to grasp was the concept that sometimes the kindest cut is the one to cut the tree down. If the tree could be diseased, damaged or is just in the wrong spot, sometimes it is best to start over with a smarter plan. Invasive plants are those that are really, really in the wrong spot, or continent. They outcompete the native plants and generally take over fields, forests, parks and neighborhoods. TreeKeepers to the rescue! As it is still a little before planting we focused the last two events on invasive species removal. February 13, we met at the Forum Nature Area and rid the marshy fields of the bad invasive pear tree. February 27 we met at Cosmo Park and cleaned the parking lot area around Dexheimer Shelter of the invasive bush honeysuckle. The honeysuckle was very thick and we dramatically changed the way the forest undergrowth now looks around the shelter.

Honeysuckle is one of the first to green out in the spring and one of the last to lose its leaves. So, when driving around late fall when most trees have lost their leaves, look out into the woods and a lot of what you see is invasive honeysuckle. This early leafing out and holding on to leaves in the fall gives the honeysuckle a longer growing season than Missouri native plants. The birds love to eat their seeds, thus spreading them and the roots can send up new shoots when not pulled out completely or chemically treated. If not addressed, frequently by somewhat violent means, the honeysuckle may take over an area. One fear is that when the current bigger, older trees start to die, the only viable replacement will be the vile honeysuckle. As the honeysuckle takes over the forest undergrowth it is often the only thing growing beneath larger trees, thus the only thing to replace them when they die.

Good luck to everyone. Take care. Until Next Month.

Lance cuts honeysuckle

Parking lot full of honeysuckle

sorry folks I cannot figure out how to get pictures on this silly blog.

Lance Mallette