Launching the Invaders Campaign

Japanese barberry is a popular nursery plant that is well behaved in suburban yards—but in the Drew Forest, it is the number one invasive species, according to Dr. Sara Webb, the Forest’s director. To think like a bird and connect the dots between suburban yards and open space, the Madison Environmental Commission, chaired by Claire Whitcomb, applied for a $1500 grant from the Association of NJ Environmental Commissions. The grant will be used to remove 15 barberry bushes at Gibbons Pines Park and replace them with native shrubs. The new habitat will be the centerpiece of an education and outreach campaign called “The Invaders,” highlighting the top five nursery invasives at the Drew Forest: barberry, burning bush, Asian wisteria, Asian honeysuckle and English ivy.