John Muir once wrote “Keep close to Nature’s heart….Wash your spirit clean”. There is little doubt that being out and enjoying nature is a soul cleanse for many people.

Back in November, I wrote an article describing Marymoor’s efforts to cut back on the invasive plant species, reed canary grass. The idea is to cut willow stakes from a Scouler’s Willow “harvest area” and plant the stakes where the Reed Canary Grass has taken over.

As most of you are aware, invasive species can wreak havoc on native ecological communities. Without any natural controls such as browsers, predators, or competitors for resources, invasive species can spread rapidly. Many have often been shown to decrease localized biodiversity by outcompeting species that other wildlife have come to rely on.