With the support of a MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant, our team started work in January 2023 to restore 20 acres of coastal shrubland and young forest to increase the resiliency of Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary to the impacts of climate change. We had six months to transform a large area of invasive brush into native shrubland.
The 20-acre project area was a dense stand of invasive Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora), Morrow’s Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii), and Asian Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) with sparse native vegetation. We collaborated with a local contractor to get most of the invasive brush cut and removed with machinery.
The transformation of this once degraded area will provide habitat for wildlife, increasing productivity and resiliency as native plants recolonize the area. We spread the seed of several native plants throughout the project area this spring including Deertongue Panicgrass (Panicum cladesinum), Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), and Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) among others. We want to add even more seeds this fall, but we need your help! Please join us for this volunteer seed collection event to continue our work of restoring this habitat.
