The City of Atlantic Beach will take part in the state-wide initiative called Weed Wrangle with an event at Howell Park Feb. 25 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Howell Park is located at 810 Seminole Road and will be one of seven various locations throughout the First Coast that will host a Weed Wrangle.
The events are put in conjunction with National Invasive Species Awareness Week, which strives to help organize volunteer efforts to help rescue public parks and green spaces from invasive species through a hands-on removal process.
The focus will be on removing trees, vines and flowering plants that are not native to the area and therefore could be harmful to the local ecosystem.
Volunteers are asked to bring their own bottle of water and gloves if they have a pair.
One of the focuses at Howell Park will be searching the land for air potato vines, which according to the Florida Museum at the University of Florida, is native to Asia, Sahara Africa and northern Australia, but have found a home over the years in Florida.
City officials in Atlantic Beach and across Florida are worried about potato vines, because as a non-native species, there is nothing that native that eats it which can result in it spreading to uncontrollable heights in their “new world.”
According to the Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants at the University of Florida, air potatoes have been listed as one of the most invasive species of plants in Florida since 1993 due to its ability to displace native species and disrupting natural processes, such as fire and water flow.
Air potato vines can grow very quickly and grow more than 70 feet in length, typically climbing to the top of trees and enveloping and smothering them with its vines.
The University of Florida recommends preventive measures such as cutting air potato vines that are high in trees and removing the bulbils (potato-looking things growing from the vines, as research has shown that even small bulbils are how new plants take hold.
Homeowners are encouraged to plant native alternatives to air potatoes, such as Carolina Jessamine, Florida yam, purple passionflower and American wisteria.
The initiative will also mark another opportunity for Atlantic Beach residents to clean up their home by collecting any litter seen while they look for the next potato vine.
The advocacy group “Friends of Howell Park” will be on hand to inform and sign up any new members from the community interested in joining.
For more information about the Weed Wrangle initiative at Howell Park or the Friends of Howell Park group, email site captain Gretchen Deters-Murray at gretchends@bellsouth.net.
A Weed Wrangle in St. Johns County will be at the Mary Street beach access in St. Augustine located at 5780 Gloria Ave.
Will Pate is the St. Augustine site captain and can be contacted at wpate@sjcfl.us.
