Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
STONEHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Middlesex Fells Reservation has some unwanted leafy invaders in its presence.
The state park north of Boston has seen an explosion of invasive plant species in recent years, says naturalist Claire O'Neill, president of conservationist non-profit Earthwise Aware.
Read More: Suspect In Custody After Four Girls Stabbed At AMC Theater In Braintree
What is causing these invasive species to take root in the Fells? According to O'Neill, more and more people have been hiking through the area since the pandemic, but instead of staying on the established trails, they are venturing off to create new, illegal ones.
"It’s great to have people outside, don’t get me wrong, but it’s important to know how to be outside," said O'Neill.
1 of 2 Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
2 of 2 Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
The rogue trails trample native plants and churn up the soil, leaving the door open for invasive plants to make themselves comfortable. Those plant seeds and rhizomes can be carried in on the shoes and clothes of those walking through the woods here.
"We could see suddenly that we have erosion everywhere. It happened in no time," O'Neill said.
O'Neill said the ecosystem here is in a careful balance between native species and the native bugs and animals which eat them. That balance gets thrown off if an invasive plant starts taking everything over. The monoculture leads to bugs not being able to eat, which can seriously damage the rest of the food chain.
"These invasives are able to really thrive because they don’t have anything to really stop them," O'Neill told WBZ NewsRadio.
Earthwise Aware is collaborating with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to find more rogue trails and help stop the spread of invasive plants, O'Neill said.
"We are actively addressing the issue of unauthorized trails," a DCR spokesperson said in a statement. "Over the last year our focus has been in high-traffic areas around Wright’s Tower, where we are diligently working to enhance the main trails and promote their proper use. Through these targeted efforts and work with our partners Earthwise Aware and the Friends of the Fells, our goal is to protect the ecological integrity of the Fells while ensuring that all visitors can continue to enjoy the park."
WBZ’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App | TikTok