Essex County Parks – Protecting Urban Forests

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The Strike Team has been working with Essex County Parks to protect valuable urban forests since 2017. We have been targeting highly threatening species including Oriental Photina, Japanese Aralia, Siebold’s Viburnum and Linden Viburnum. These species are the greatest threat to forest health due to their height (up to 20’), ability to grow in shaded habitats and spread through fruit and underground runners. The Strike Team has been working on mapping out and eradicating many hundreds of these invasive plant populations. At Hilltop Reservation, Theresa Trapp of the Hilltop Conservancy, along with additional contractors hired by the County, have virtually eliminated Japanese Aralia – tends of thousands of plants eliminated.