Volunteers work to remove invasive plants at local rally

Gainesville residents waged a war against invasive plants Saturday.

Armed with gardening gloves and buckets, hundreds of volunteers removed the plants during the second annual Great Invader Raider Rally.

Hosted by the Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, this year’s event centered on the elimination of coral ardisia, an exotic plant of Asian origin.

More than 500 volunteers registered to combat invasive plants in 20 habitats throughout the city, according to a press release.

Stephen Enloe, a UF invasive plant extensive specialist, said coral ardisia is a serious problem across Florida.

“When coral ardisia starts outcompeting native species, you lose those native species,” Enloe said. “And when you start pulling out native species from an ecosystem, there are a lot of ramifications.”

When the plant’s berries fall to the ground, they grow under existing plants, thickening the shrub and overall problem, he said.  

“Coral ardisia lacks a natural enemy, and a number of birds will eat the berries and spread the plant,” Enloe said. “So the problem can spread pretty rapidly.”

Sandra Vardaman, an Alachua County lands biologist, led the rally’s Evergreen Cemetery site.

She said volunteers cleared soil that was previously unseen under the plant’s dark green leaves.

“You can really see how much of a difference everyone’s efforts are making,” she said.

Still, plenty of coral ardisia remains.

Vardaman said it’s crucial for volunteers to learn about invasive species and use that knowledge at home.

Volunteer Jacob Tillmann, a 38-year-old pharmacist, said the event taught his 6-year-old son, Grant, to recognize coral ardisia.

“Grant can look at a species and say, ‘Hey, that’s the bad plant,’” Tillmann said. “And that’s because of these events.”

After the rally, Wells Fargo representatives awarded the city of Gainesville a $60,000 grant to fund the Gainesville Greenway Challenge. The effort aims to restore 47 acres of habitat in eight nature parks, according to the press release.

Reflecting on the future, Enloe said events like the Great Invader Raider Rally will play a key role in the fight against invasive species.

“With these efforts, we can begin to see an increase in an ecosystem’s richness and diversity,” Enloe said.

Jacob Tillmann, 38, removes coral ardisia, an invasive plant species, with his son Grant Tillmann, 6, from the Evergreen Cemetery during the Great Invader Raider Rally event Saturday morning. “Grant can look at a species and say, ‘Hey, that's a bad plant,’” Tillmann said. “And that's because of these events.”