Trade trees for invasive species

HURON TWP. — Two Erie County-based organizations, Erie MetroParks and Erie Conservation District, are teaming up again to bring awareness about the invasive species — that may be growing in your backyard — by encouraging landowners to remove the invasives to improve watershed health. They are specifically targeting the following trees: Callery (Bradford) pear, tree of heaven, autumn olive and bush honeysuckle. If you have one of these species on your property, then you'll have a chance to get a free native plant in exchange for cutting down/removing the targeted invasive out of your yard. Tree and shrub quantities are limited, so this program is on a first-come, first-served basis. Any Erie County resident may participate in the program as long as the individual removes a designated invasive plant from the specific property. You will need to provide a photo of the invasive plant. The photo must include you with the target invasive species cut down. Additional photos with a close-up of removed species are preferred for identifying purposes. All photos must be submitted by Sept. 1. The park and conservation districts will start accepting photo submissions of removed trees starting on April 1. Submission photos should be submitted through Survey 123. Visit eriemetroparks.org/buyback for more information or visit tinyurl.com/2td9bd86 to submit directly. There you can get information and see photos for identification purposes. While they encourage the removal of all the invasive species on your property, this program is a one-to-one trade-in. There is a limit of one native species per household. The species that will be awarded in trade will be one of the following: • Pawpaw a three-plug pack • Spicebush • Black cherry There will also be pollinator packs that include black-eyed Susan, purple coneflower, Culver's root, sweet Joe pye and dense blazing star. People can contact Tara Kauffman at tkauffman@eriemetroparks.org or 419-625- 7783, ext. 236, as well as Breann Hohman at bhohman@eriecounty.oh.gov or 419-626-5211. Participants will be contacted about pick up of their native plants after the program has ended.