By Paula Scott

The recent announcement by Bluffton University regarding the removal of invasive shrubs at the Nature Preserve,10625 Augsburger Road, piqued my interest. It named several species of shrubs including autumn olive and bush honeysuckle, which are crowding out native plants and changing the charcater of areas in the preserve.

A quick online search shows that large swaths of the United States are wrestling with autumn olive. The Nature Conservancy calls it “Your Invasive, Seedy Neighbor. Autumn olive trees were planted for soil erosion. But its prolific fruit and seeds have disrupted native ecosystems.”

Bush honeysuckle? The Ohio State University Extension Services says “aggressive invaders of a variety of sites including abandoned fields, roadsides, right-of-ways, woodland edges, and the interiors of open woodlands. Honeysuckle out competes and shades out desirable native woodland species, and can form pure, dense thickets totally void of other vegetation.”

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Jacob Buchanan, the M'Della Moon Professor of Botany and Environmental Science, provided me with a tour of the areas being targeted for herbicide applications and removal of invasive plants. Buchanan has been on campus since June and will be using the nature preserve as his classroom well into the fall.

He showed me how to identify the autumn olive with its silver-backed leaves and red berries. After a few minutes walking along the preserve’s drive, it was obvious that the shrub thrives here. Buchanan pointed out places where the university would like to see open wildflower patches as well as prairie savannah.

If you look for places where the invasive shrubs are being targeted, you’ll find the branches a short distance from the road, where they will decompose. There is one noticeable area which the university does not control: near Augsburger Rd. a power line right of way is maintained by American Electric Power.

Why are these invasives so successful? Their berries offer easy pickings for birds, which then spread the seed in their droppings. Buchanan noted that this isn’t actually great sustenance for birds, particularly those in migration. It’s a juicy hit rather than a stick to your ribs meal for birds.

The attached photos provide a closer look at some of the invasive shrubs.

The 160-acre nature preserve includes woods, grassland, a riverine ecosystem and a small lake wildlife habitat. The property was originally given to the university by the Thutt family for use as a college farm. In the 1950s it was rented out to local farmers and in 1966, Robert Kreider proposed converting it to a nature center and education site.

The Bluffton University Nature Preserve is open during daylight hours. People using the preserve must stay on mowed trails. Current students may use the pond for water sports.