Undergraduates Carter Perez and Francisco Salgado showcase a towering pile of Japanese knotweed

To many Fishers Islanders, the Parade Grounds is a wonderland of wildflowers, grasses, big sky and open meadows. Its inviting paths meander through 175 acres, ideal for exploration and contemplation. But to Dr. Adam Mitchell of Tarleton State University, the Parade Grounds is much more than walking paths and vistas: it’s a living laboratory. In 2014, as a PhD student, Dr. Mitchell’s dissertation assessed the impact of invasive species on the food web in the Parade Grounds. At that time, the area had undergone a small mitigation effort but was still choked with unwelcome invaders like Japanese knotweed and porcelainberry. His field work revealed what many had suspected. Insect populations were scant and the birds who preyed upon them suffered as a result. In the ten years since his initial data collection, the Fishers Island Conservancy (FIC) has worked to rehabilitate this fragile habitat, overseeding the area with carefully curated seed mixes, overseeing scheduled burns, hand weeding, mowing and pruning the property. The dazzling visual outcome is obvious but the FIC wanted rigorous data to assess the Parade Ground’s environmental health given the shift from a weedy wasteland to one dominated by productive native plants.

To this end, this summer they engaged four students from Tarleton State University to begin replicating Dr. Mitchell’s initial sampling at Race Point, the airport and the Parade Grounds. They surveyed vegetation, took surveys of what and how many species were present, and also surveyed insects and birds.  These data will provide a baseline for another Ph.D candidate who will return to the island next summer to recreate Dr. Mitchell’s initial project and compare his original data sets with current surveys. It is too early to draw precise preliminary conclusions from the students’ work this summer. “Counting insects takes time,” says Dr. Mitchell, “so we aren’t able to get a full assessment yet, and won’t until the end of next summer when the graduate student concludes the project, but observationally and anecdotally, things are much nicer out there in terms of restoration. The diversity of plants is so much more robust.”

Undergraduate students Naomi Zahn, Francisco Salgado and graduate student Catalina Berry collecting arthropod samples

Undergraduate students Naomi Zahn, Francisco Salgado and graduate student Catalina Berry collecting arthropod samples

In addition to the surveying and data collection, Dr. Mitchell and the Conservancy wanted to prioritize the reestablishment of what used to be called the Weed Team (they prefer their self-named moniker: Fishers Island Research and Survey Team or FIRST) to promote the health of the native wild flowers and grasses through invasive plant removal. “It’s best to have a surgical approach,” says Dr. Mitchell, “to have people on the ground hand removing invasive plants that often outcompete our natives is the gold standard.” The timing of the removal is crucial. Later in the summer, invasives begin to produce seeds furthering their propogation, so FIRST completed their survey work and dedicated their last few weeks on island to the eradication of as many invasives as possible. “The students could see their progress every week,” says Dr. Mitchell, “there were huge piles of plants that were removed, it was very gratifying.” The students were paid by a grant from Tarleton State University while housing in New London was paid for by the Conservancy. This arrangement is expected to be replicated next year, perhaps with the same students. “There were a few tears shed when their ferry left the island,” says Mitchell, “they knew they had a special summer in a special spot.” The Conservancy will be posting any completed survey findings from this summer on its website and will be updating the community on the progress of the data collection next summer.