2023 Weed Watchers Report

2023 Weed Watching Report

Maintaining the beauty of Thorndike Pond is of vital importance to all of us.  Keeping invasive plants and animals out is an important aspect of doing so.  The first line of defense is the lake host program which is designed to prevent the introduction of such unwanted species. The second line of defense is the weed watching program which is designed to identify invasive species early so that efforts at eradication are easier, more effective, and less expensive.

The TPCA weed watching team for 2023 includes Jim & Anne Banghart, Eve Share Banghart, Emily Carr, Alisa Nash, Roberta Schnoor, and myself.  Each member of the team has an assigned section of shoreline to monitor on a regular basis, observing for new or suspicious plants or animals.  Reports are logged monthly, but anything raising questions is addressed immediately.  We have the resources of the NH Dept. of Environmental Services to assist us in positive identification of any questionable samples we collect.

There are always variations in the amount and predominant native species reported by our team.  This is caused by a variety to environmental factors.  These is the usual waterlily, bur-reed, watershield, pickerelweed, bladderwort, and floating-leaved pondweeds. There were 2 photos submitted to the New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services on 7/26/23 and as of the time of this report we are still waiting for a response.  The plants in the photos do not match known invasive species.

Every year more and more bodies of water in NH get contaminated by invasive species, including several that are nearby.  We must remain vigilant and the more of us involved in the process the more effective it will be.  Weed watching is easy to do.  Training is available locally and the process involves simply kayaking along a small area of shoreline near your home to keep track of the plant and animal growth in the water.  We need more TPCA members to help with this program to make it more effective. Please consider joining us.

Respectfully submitted,

Jim Potter, TPCA Weed Watcher Coordinator