KISMA and Keweenaw Wild Ones are working together to help the Copper Country remove invasive species from their yards. Barberry plants, once commonly used by landscapers, can easily be relocated to forested areas, where the plant becomes a very different problem. KISMA program coordinator Sigrid Resh says homeowners who want to replace their barberry with a native plant species should dig up the bush.

They grow so densely that they prevent other native species and plant species from growing. They’re largely invisible to our native insects and birds. So they don’t get eaten. And because they don’t get eaten, their populations have nothing to stop them. And they just grow into big, dense colonies and basically change the ecosystem and what can survive there.. – Sigrid Resh, program coordinator, KISMA

Marcia Goodrich, president of Keweenaw Wild Ones, says it’s been a long time coming for the two groups to come together on a joint project. Wild Ones promotes the use of native plants in horticulture year-round. KISMA coordinates research and management areas to study the spread and removal of invasive species on the Keweenaw Peninsula.

The other reason is that their mission aligns with ours. We encourage people to garden with native plants, and the best thing you can do to help the environment is to get rid of ugly invasive plants like Japanese barberry and replace them with native plants. And we are two sides of the same coin, and it is an honor and a pleasure to work with KISMA.. – Marcia Goodrich, President, Keweenaw Wild Ones

Residents who turn in barberries on any of the three drop-off days will receive a $10 gift certificate toward a new native species in the garden. There are three opportunities to drop off barberry plants at KISMA and Wild Ones: this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Houghton High School. Then again on the 8th in L’Anse. And on August 10th in Eagle Harbor. Those interested in learning more about Japanese and European barberries, how to identify the species and how they impact the environment can find more information and details about the drop-off days here.