On Saturday August 20th we will continue our efforts to suppress Purple Loosestrife from the pond. Purple Loosestrife is a problem for the pond because it chokes out native plants like cattails. Cattails are needed by native species like ducks and muskrats, and they also help filter the water that runs in to the pond.

On Saturday August 20th we will continue our efforts to suppress Purple Loosestrife from the pond. Purple Loosestrife is a problem for the pond because it chokes out native plants like cattails. Cattails are needed by native species like ducks and muskrats, and they also help filter the water that runs in to the pond. For the last two summers we've dug out what we could, and it's clearly making a difference, this year there are noticeably more cattails and less loosestrife – but there's more to do this year. If you can spare an hour or so, please join us at the Euclid Avenue end of the pond on Saturday 8/20 at 9:00 am. Bring work gloves, long handled spades, and waders if you've got 'em. The worst of the remaining loosestrife is in a hard to get location right at the end of the pond. But if you don't have waders, please come anyway – there are individual plants in easier locations, and we need folks on dry land to help out. Also on August 20th, we'll be continuing our CSLAP water sampling, so you'll get to see that in action. If you want to help with the water testing, that starts at 8:30 at the foot of Lenox Avenue on the South (New Scotland) side of the pond.