Invasive Plant Management and Management of Competing Vegetation on Urban Stream Restoration Sites
Tyler O’Mara
Alan Peoples
Habitat Assessment and Restoration Professionals
Lexington, NC
Desired native vegetation establishment on urban stream restoration sites is crucial for the long-term success of any restoration project. Urban watersheds pose unique challenges with desired native vegetation establishment. The list of invasive exotic species that displace native plant life is usually quite long the closer to urban areas a restoration site is. These plants pose obvious threats to any vegetation that is installed on a site. In addition to the invasive exotic threats there can be situations that arise were native herbaceous species out-compete installed plant materials. In this presentation we supply examples of both situations and what to consider when mitigating these threats. We will also offer suggestions on resource allocation on vegetation management. We also will discuss on the ground methods HARP (Habitat Assessment and Restoration Professionals) has used in the past to treat invasive/aggressive vegetation on urban stream restoration sites. In addition, HARP will discuss public perception of vegetation management on restoration sites with some of our experiences interacting with the public.
About Tyler O’Mara
Tyler joined HARP in 2019 after working as a horticulturist in both public and private gardens. He serves as an adjunct instructor for a local community college’s horticultural department teaching primarily nursery production and operations. Tyler holds an AAS in Horticulture and a B.S. in Agriculture Education.
He has extensive experience in pesticide application and currently holds an arborist credential from the International Society of Arboriculture. At HARP Tyler oversees all plant material production and nursery operations. This includes everything from procurement of plant materials for HARP’s restoration projects to maintenance of infrastructure.
In addition to his work at HARP’s Nursery he spends time in the field conducting tree surveys, evaluating hydric soils in wetlands and designs pollinator meadows.
In his free time Tyler enjoys spending time with his wife Meg and son Asher, woodworking, fly fishing and developing a native pollinator garden at his home for birds and insects.
About Alan Peoples
Alan joined HARP joined HARP in 2002 after graduate school and a stint as an itinerant agricultural worker. Alan holds a North Carolina Landscape Contractors License, and herbicide applicators licenses in North Carolina and Virginia. Alan manages HARP’s field crews and oversees all field activities on HARP’s planting projects as well as on invasive plant management projects, which are frequently the same projects. Alan’s ability to distinguish beneficial plants from undesirable native and invasive species makes him invaluable to HARP’s clients. Alan has extensive field experience in the proper selection of plant species placement in the landscape on stream and wetland restoration sites. In addition to his work at HARP’s Nursery he spends time in the field conducting tree surveys, evaluating hydric soils in wetlands and designs pollinator meadows. In his free time Alan enjoys spending time with his wife Paula and son Harrison, reading and listening to music.