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Phragmites.org
This page is http://www.stewartfarm.org/phragmites/newsletters/1-10.php
This site hosted by StewartFarm.org, 2007 Stewart Road, Harsens Island, Michigan 48028.
Phragmites.org Newsletter Archives 1-10
October 17, 2007 through December 30, 2007
presented below in reverse order
Phragmites.org Newsletter #10 - Dec. 30, 2007
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PUBLISHED in the Downriver Voice: Wednesday, December 26, 2007
St. Clair Flats group is preserving the future
"Phragmites could have very easily overrun St. Johns Marsh in Algonac if it wasn't for the efforts of a local chapter of Waterfowl USA, a national conservation organization."
Read the whole article at
http://voicenews.com/stories/122607/loc_20071226003.shtml
However, watch out for the third paragraph. Ken Frost, chairperson for St. Clair Flats, Chapter No. 1 is mentioned. "Frost said biologists have used test chemicals that kill the phragmites but leaves the rest of the marsh and habitat unharmed." I have serious doubts about him really saying that or if he did say it that perhaps he misunderstood something he was told about the chemicals. I have never heard of such a thing. If any of you know anything about such a chemical please let me know.
Bob Williams
Bob@phragmites.org
248-388-0465
StewartFarm.org
Phragmites.org Newsletter #9 - Dec. 18, 2007
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Someone has come up with an interesting minor use for phragmites. They make pens with it. Here is a link to their website if you are interested in seeing what they look like. Some are very nice.
PHRAGWRITES: Making Good Use of a Wayward Plant
Bob Williams
Bob@phragmites.org
248-388-0465
StewartFarm.org
Phragmites.org Newsletter #8 - Dec. 6, 2007
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which says "remove."
Check out this news article from The Chatham Daily News, Chatham, Ontario.
"Wetlands burned to kill pest; owner uses spray and fire to rid site of phragmites"
http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=802360&auth=ELLWOOD+SHREVE
Bob Williams
Bob@phragmites.org
248-388-0465
StewartFarm.org
Phragmites.org Newsletter #7 - Dec. 2, 2007 -
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which says "remove."
Check out this news article from Michigan Out Of Doors magazine.
"Victory over Phragmites - How Beaver Island defied the odds"
http://stewartfarm.org/phragmites/pdf/MIOut-of-DoorsArticleDec2007.pdf
Bob Williams
Bob@phragmites.org
248-388-0465
StewartFarm.org
Phragmites.org Newsletter #6 - Nov. 29, 2007 -
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which says "remove."
Check out this news article from the Grand Rapids Press.
"New report says global warming will lead to more phragmites along our shoreline"
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1196180104208700.xml&coll=4
Bob Williams
Bob@phragmites.org
248-388-0465
StewartFarm.org
Phragmites.org Newsletter #5 - Nov. 5, 2007 -
Michigan DEQ publishes new technical manual on Phragmites Control.
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which says "remove."
If you attended one of our phragmites workshops on Harsens Island in September
you should have received a copy of the recent Michigan DEQ document titled
"A Landowner's Guide to Phragmites Control." If you did not get
a copy you can print one online at
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/deq-ogl-Guide-Phragmites_204659_7.pdf
The Michigan DEQ just published another document online. In fact, it is so
new that their hardcopies are still being printed. The new 40 page document
is "A Guide to the Control and Management of Invasive Phragmites."
In the introduction the brochure states "Because this guide discusses
tools that are not readily applied by the average landowner, it is intended
primarily for land or resource managers from agencies, organizations, and
businesses and extension agents or others in a similar position." This
document can be printed online at
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/deq-ogl-ais-guide-PhragBook-Email_212418_7.pdf
Bob Williams
Bob@phragmites.org
248-388-0465
StewartFarm.org
Phragmites.org Newsletter #4 - Oct. 27, 2007 -
Good article on recent Phragmites science.
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which says "remove."
For those interested in the science of Phragmites the following link is to a good article recently published on www.sciencedaily.com about how Phragmites kills nearby plants with acid.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071012084128.htm
Phragmites.org Newsletter #3 - Oct. 24, 2007 -
Its time to stop spraying the Phragmites for this season.
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which says "remove."
Well folks, time is up for this season. Even though we have not had a killing frost as of this writing the Phragmites on Harsens Island and elsewhere in Southeast Michigan has started to go dormant. Therefore, any additional herbicide which you may put on it from now until next August will probably have no effect on it. Save your herbicide for next August and September.
In the meantime, don't forget to bring your herbicide into a non-freezing
environment. If it freezes it will lose its effectiveness.
Phragmites.org newsletter #2 - Oct. 17, 2007 - Native Phragmites
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At the workshop this week at Cornell U. I also learned more about native phragmites,
how to identify it and the importance of keeping it. If you see any Phragmites
on the island which has already lost most of its leaves by this time (mid
October) please let me know where it is. I would like to check it out to see
if it is native Phragmites.
If we find native Phragmites we should not kill it. It can be an important
part of a healthy ecosystem. Just by way of background information native
Phragmites is not as aggressive, as dense or as tall as the non-native introduced
variety. It also has smaller seed heads. It is being crowded out by the non-native
variety and needs to be protected from extinction.
Bob Williams
Bob@phragmites.org
248-388-0465
StewartFarm.org
Phragmites.org newsletter #1 - Important Update - Oct. 17, 2007
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I just got back from an intense two day workshop on Phragmites at Cornell
University. One important thing which I learned which you need to know today
is when in the year to stop spraying the Phragmites.
Up until now we used the "first killing frost" as our deadline to
stop spraying the Phragmites. The experts now tell us that with this warm
fall we have had we should stop spraying it before the first frost if it is
starting to show signs of preparation for winter hibernation. Those signs
are basically the leaves beginning to turn yellow. Therefore the new deadline
for when to stop spraying is "at the first killing frost or when the
leaves are starting to turn yellow, whichever comes first" If the leaves
are no longer green they will not absorb the herbicide.
More to report later. I just wanted to get this time sensitive information
out as quickly as possible.
Bob Williams
Bob@phragmites.org
248-388-0465
StewartFarm.org
If you would like to be on a general email list to receive notices of other phragmites control events and information about controlling phragmites send your name to Newsletter@phragmites.org along with a message which says "subscribe."
Bob Williams and Chuck Miller are forming a committee of Harsens
Islanders to continue to study the phragmites problem on Harsens Island and
its solutions. They welcome others who would like to join the effort by further
researching the topic and sharing knowledge on eliminating phragmites. If
you are interested contact Bob Williams at Bob@StewartFarm.org
or call Chuck Miller at 810-748-7209.