Adios Privet!

Last week, our class had the opportunity to clear out some privet at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. I had been to the Nature Center before, but it was cool to be there as a helper. I like the idea that I’m enhancing the experience of the next person that comes along and thus, hopefully, encourage more people to experience and enjoy nature (clearly I enjoyed arguing for "accessibility" our class debate). 

For those who may not know, privet is invasive shrubbery in the genus Ligustrum. It is particularly prevalent in the American Southeast and thrives in areas with lots of sunlight that have experienced disturbed soil. Though not necessarily an eyesore, the privet we encountered at the Nature Center absolutely took over the whole scene. It overran all the plants that were meant to grow and thrive in the environment and took away from the scene as a whole. Not only were we unable to see the flora and fauna that the privet engulfed, but we also could not see through the privet to the overlook of the large pond. 

The privet was surprisingly sturdy and dense. I thought removing it would be like pulling weeds in my yard, but that was simply not the case. It made me wonder if their deep roots were disrupting the roots of the other plants. Surprisingly, our hosts at the Nature Center did not address this issue; they simply told us to “chop” the privet (side note, I loved using the garden clippers). But will it grow back? I wish we could have helped with a more permanent solution to this problem. 

Once we cleared the privet, we were able to start noticing certain things about the environment that we might have noticed had the privet continued to drown everything else out. For example, we were able to see through into the pond and saw a small group of deer approaching for a drink- neat! I also noticed this small plant pictured below. Upon doing some research, I discovered that it is called an Eleusine indica, or Indian goosegrass. I loved it because it reminded me of a firework- nature’s firework! I know for a fact that I never would have noticed it if we hadn’t been able to cut down so much privet. 

I had so much fun helping clear the privet; it made me feel like I was doing something that actually made a difference and gave me the chance to get to know my classmates a little better! 

P.S. Congrats Prof. Williams on your award! I’m excited to see the video that TCU publishes about you and will hire a lip reader to prove that you promised me an A+ in the class!