By Sound News reporter Emilia Ptak

It’s a crisp and unusually sunny February morning at Meig’s Park. An eclectic bunch has gathered –high school students, property-owners, a group of young kids from the home school network, and plant experts- to tackle the pesky weeds dilemma afflicting Bainbridge Island.

Weed Warriors, a loose coalition of Bainbridge Island organizations, is working to remove weedy non-native plants and restore natural habitat to support local ecosystems. The members are committed to preserving Puget Sound’s ecological heritage. Every month work parties are held at a designated site around the island.

This month the group has convened at Meig’s Park for a Scotch Broom Sweep. Before the school children enter the park, Jeanette Franks, the founder of Weed Warriors, gives a quick tutorial on identifying Scotch broom and the proper method of removing it. The green, bristly plant lives up to its name and can grow to be 9 feet tall. Each person is handed gloves and heavy-duty tools to hack away at the scotch broom with. She explains the threat of the pesky weed and shows a poster depicting the devastation. If the problem is left alone, weeds take over and eventually, everything is gone, including the weed itself because it has crowded all the life out. The effect is called a green desert. And the last thing anyone wants is Bainbridge Island becoming a barren desert.

It might look nice. But it's nasty. The dreaded Scotch Broom. Photo courtesy of flickr user LabGP&SigOther

To the untrained eye, Meig’s Park is a pleasant sight, with lots of greenery and walking trails. But wait just a second. As eyes hone in, different shades of green begin to emerge. Thickets of the green, scratchy broom stand out in stark contrast to the native greenery. The congregation of Scotch broom at Meig’s park is baffling. It is everywhere.

“I feel like Sisyphus” Dick Baker says with a sigh as he takes a break from his work and steps back to survey the scene. Baker is an islander (local speak connoting Island residents) and married to Jeannette. He has been involved with Weed Warriors since its 2006 inception, and currently a board member. Just like Sisyphus, who was determined to push that rock up the hill, Baker is determined to rid of the weeds and restore Meig’s Park. Despite his frustration, he returns to work, determined to get as much done as he can.

Jeannette is a Professor at the University of Washington and describes restoration work as a hobby. She was inspired to start Weed Warriors when she realized that local environmental organizations were competing for volunteers. Collaboration is a leading principle and Weed Warriors actively works with The Land Trust, IslandWood, the Parks Department and the Watershed Council, among others, to restore Bainbridge’s natural habitat.

The attitude of the group is “we realize that we have made some mistakes, so let’s do something about it and try to make it better.” The issue of restoration is seen as a learning process. Randy, a volunteer and property-owner mentions how when he was first looking at property, Scotch broom was being touted as an asset to the landscape. He is helping out today because he frequently runs in the park with his dogs and is dismayed by the plants taking over the path and that catch on his clothing.

The problem is especially troublesome for Bainbridge Island because space is limited. Living on an island that is 5 miles wide and 10 miles long, with a total area of 27.78 square miles, an islander becomes aware of limited space and familiar with what is contained within the “finite borders” as Jeanette puts it. She adds that “bare ground is a weed magnet” and goes on to explain that development and population growth have exacerbated the problem. Dense population contributes because with more gardens and less open spaces, weeds proliferate and become concentrated.

From1960-2002 Bainbridge Island saw a dramatic population increase of 219%, according to the City of Bainbridge Island’s Housing Needs Assessment, September 2003. In 1960 the population was 6,404 and currently stands at 23,180. Population growth has slowed in recent years. The Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council estimates that the population will grow modestly and reach 28,660 in 2025.

While population growth has slowed, the problem of weeds remains. The worst weeds, identified as the 5 most wanted are Knotweed, English ivy, Tansy, Holly, and Scotch broom. “This is one of those cases where our weakness is also our strength” Jeanette points out. Bainbridge Island is relatively small and a tight nit community, so getting people involved and raising awareness of an issue is easier to do than in larger areas, such as Seattle. The group reaches out, seeking to engage citizens, from elementary students to retirees. Building a strong, inclusive movement is a core principle and driving motivation for the group. “It’s amazing to learn what a community can do.” Vencie Anderson, a Weed Warriors board member states.

The Weed Warriors’ biannual board meeting was held after the Scotch Broom Sweep event at Dick and Jeannette’s home, which they spent time restoring and now the landscape features all native plants.

The six board members gather around a wooden table and discuss upcoming events over bread, quiche, and tea. The first item on the agenda is confirming the educational talks that will take place at Wilkes, Ordway, and Blakely elementary schools. Education is a large part of the group’s efforts. The upcoming Bainbridge in Bloom event held every July is a chance for the group to engage with a wider audience, some coming as far as California to see the gardens. The group sees the event as an opportunity to educate the public about responsible gardening. “Responsible gardening is what we are about,” states Jane Wentworth, a botanist, local weed expert, and board member of Weed Warriors, the WA State Weed Board and the Kitsap Noxious Weed Program.

Responsible gardening is a concern because it is not being practiced. Mismanagement leads the problem of invasives to persist. As long as the plant is managed and contained, it will not go to seed. Now if only making that message heard could be spread as easily as the invasives grow themselves.