Head out to Smelt Brook Preserve with the York Land Trust staff and conduct phragmites (also known as common reed) monitoring on and along the marsh. This survey will give tell us the concentration and location of phragmites patches on Smelt Brook for future removal and remediation. Participants will learn how to locate phragmites on the marsh and what kinds of areas they grow in. We will be using the app called “Landscape” to pin and take pictures of phragmites when found. There is also a marsh restoration project on Smelt Brook that will be underway in the next few years that will be addressing the numerous mega-pools in the area, historic ditching, phragmites infestation, and other marsh alterations that have altered the marsh hydrology over a 132-acre area. If volunteers are interested in any of these factors, the Phragmites Mapping Event would be a great way to learn more about salt marsh health and our restoration project goals.

This event is open to plant ID beginners and experts alike and will provide volunteers with a great opportunity to practice their plant ID skills, and learn about marsh hydrology, restoration planning, and marsh ecosystems. We will meet at the Highland Farm Preserve parking area and walk over to Smelt Brook Preserve.