Watch a short documenatry film by Brien Jennings about habitat restoration at Lake Canonchet.

Removing Invasive Vegetation from Lake Canonchet

The Friends of Canonchet Farm has begun a three-year program to remove bittersweet, Japanese knotweed and other invasive vegetation from the eastern shore of Lake Canonchet.

The two-fold purpose of the project is to restore native habitat along this coastal fresh water pond and to build public awareness of the problem of invasive species and successful methods for removal.

The project is being conducted on behalf of the Town of Narragansett under a permit from the R.I. Coastal Resource Management Council (File number 2011-11-056). Click Lake Canonchet Invasive Plant Control Plan for a copy of the project plan we submitted to the Town last fall.

How You Can Help

We are looking for volunteers to assist us in the removal of the invasive plants on scheduled work days during the spring. We will have work sessions from 5:00 to 7:00 every other Tuesday starting May 29. Contact Kathie Kelleher for details.

Resources

The following are links to downloadable documents and web resources that provide background information on the problem of invasive vegetation and methods of removal.

Managing Invasive Plants - Methods of Control, published by the New England Wild Flower Society is a good starting point for understanding.

Rhode Island Coastal Plant Guide an interactive web page for identifying native plants that will thrive as the invasives are removed.

In Volunteerism and the Management of Abandoned Fields and Woodlands Tom Fortier describes managing an area such as Canonchet Farm as it transitions from abandoned farm fields to forest and meadows.