Philip G. Wilmer Park

Philip G. Wilmer Park. Marsh Restoration Project. , This project was initiated by the Chestertown Garden Club and made possible by a grant from The Chesapeake Bay Trust., Special thanks to the town of Chestertown for their ongoing support of the project and to The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center for their advice and expertise., The Problem , Phragmites australis - Common Reed , Phragmites has become an invasive nuisance aggressively taking over former ecologically valuable wetlands. A member of the grass family, Phragmites grows to be over ten feet tall and is topped with conspicuous purple plumes which fade to brown in the winter. Phragmites spreads by rhizome runners (underground shoots) to form large monocultures (colonies of a single plant species) which crowd out other native plants. Phragmites also produces a toxic chemical from its roots which kills surrounding native plants. A reduction of plant diversity results in the loss of habitat, leaving an imbalance in the delicate marsh ecosystem., The Solution , Starting in 2003, the Phragmites at this site was annually sprayed with herbicide and burned in preparation for planting. In May 2006, over 200 community volunteers planted 15,000 native trees, shrubs and grasses to reclaim this lost landscape. Continued eradication of Phragmites and replacement with other native plants remains key to the success of the project. Your interest and support here is vital., The Philip G. Wilmer Park Marsh Restoration Project would not have been possible without the tireless commitment from hundreds of local volunteers. Their hard work and enthusiasm helped put this plan into action.,

1. Volunteers using a dibble bar to plant Spartina patens , 2. Busy and happy volunteers , 3. An Eastern Garter Snake and a fearless volunteer

, Can you find these plants? ,

Trees

Magnolia virginiana Sweetbay Magnolia

, Shrubs

1. Amelanchier canadensis Serviceberry , 2. Aronia arbutifolia Chokeberry , ; Clethra alnifolia Sweet Pepperbush; Ilex glabra Inkberry Holly , 3. Ilex verticillata Winterberry Holly; Morella pensylvanica Northern Bayberry

, Herbaceous Emergents

4. Hibiscus moscheutos March Hibiscus , 5. Peltandra virginica Arrow Arum , 6. Panicum virgatum Switch Grass , 7. Spartina alterniflora Smooth Cordgrass , 8. Spartina patens Salt Meadow Hay