How many hours do I have to work once I become a Certified Weed Warrior (WW)? Will I be assigned to certain projects?

Once certified as a WW, you will receive a card that will allow you to remove invasive plant species from parks or other public areas. There is currently no requirement for hours, but we would like you volunteer about 20 hours a year. We will host event throughout the year where you can get together with fellow WW and expand your invasive plant knowledge. You can also contact us about creating a WW event in your area. We understand you are busy and welcome you continuing your WW hours outside of WW events.

We ask that you document those hours and what you have removed from parks or other areas in Anne Arundel County. Log your hours here. This help us with grant writing and tracking the impact WW are making.

What invasive plants should WW focus on?

During our WW training, we will cover targeted invasive plants. You can also see list of the targeted invasive plants here.

How do I manage invasive plants or I need a refresher on plant identification?

See our page on invasive management techniques and identification of invasive plant here.

How do I report a bad infestation or a new invasive species?

We recommend using www.EDDMAPS.com that allows anyone to monitor and report invasives. There is also smartphone app called MAEDN that uses this system for field reporting.

Do herbicide guarantee a faster result?

Depending on the plant herbicides can be more effective, management techniques often recommended combined use of herbicides and mechanical removal for eradication.

Liability issues and state laws prevent us from allowing volunteers to use herbicides.

We have been told to deal with vines by “cutting windows”, but don’t the vines just grow back?

Re-growth will occur, but the vine will be unable to climb back up as fast. The separated portion of the vine creates gaps, that helping relieve trees of their living vine burden. While this is often a short-term solution, continued cutting of re-growth will eventually exhaust some vines, and they will die. The gaps prevent production of hundreds or thousands of seeds a year. This limits the spread of invasive vines and can prevent new infestation from occurring.

Native grape vines damage trees, so why do we leave them?

Native grape vines produce abundant fruit in the mid-story and canopy layers of forest that are consumed by dozens of birds and mammals. They have evolved with our native trees and adverse effects they produce provide new habitat types that are important to forest ecology. If you cut one by accident, do not worry! It will grow back.

What if I remove a large area of invasive and left the soil exposed? Can I plant something to prevent invasive from coming back?

Monitor the site a few weeks to months after removal for regeneration of native vegetation. If native regeneration does not occur, seed mixtures or plant of natives can be used to stabilize the habitat.

Invasive plants often have an established seed bank in the soil and will need a follow up invasive removal. Treatment of invasive plant infestations requires patience and persistence, often needing several years to remove the problem and restore the habitat.

I have completed the WW training, but my health situation doesn’t allow me to put in many hours. What else can I do?

Educate your fellow community members about invasive plants and the problems they cause in our environment. Spread the word about are program and efforts to control invasive plants.