Mr. Rod Walker from the Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) visited the Mountain Ecology class on Tuesday, January 10.  Mr. Walker discussed the organization’s efforts to manage invasive species in Greene County and the ten counties surrounding Shenandoah National Park. The Blue Ridge PRISM is a project of the Shenandoah National Park Trust, which is a 501c3 nonprofit and the fiscal sponsor of the Blue Ridge PRISM.

Founded in 2014, Blue Ridge PRISM is the first Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) in Virginia. It is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to reducing the negative impact of non-native invasive plants on the natural and agricultural environment of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. PRISM’s members include private landowners as well as state, federal and county organizations, and professional gardening organizations and companies.

Mr. Walker explained that the organization’s mission is to promote the creation of more CWMA’s throughout Virginia and to reduce the impact of invasive species in its targeted area that covers all of Shenandoah National Park and the ten counties that border the park. CWMA’s share best practices and resources to eradicate non-native plants on private and public lands.

Prior to Mr. Walker’s presentation, each student in Mr. Cory Woods’ Mountain Ecology class chose one invasive plant on PRISM’s Terrible Twelve Invasive Plants listing. Each student will be developing a research paper covering the identification, history, location, impact and management of the specific invasive plant.

Autumn Olive – Ryan Amer ’18
Garlic Mustard – Aamir Simms ’17
Japanese Honeysuckle – Myles Jones ’18
Japanese Stiltgrass – Connor Coleman ’17
Kudzu – Bryce Bongiovanni ’17
Multiflora Rose – Darius McGhee ’17
Porcelainberry – Devin Corini ’19
Tree of Heaven – Jaden Frazier ’18