Fern Valley Wet Meadow is already providing enjoyment!

The children are captivated by frogs, but what catches my eye is the Rice Cutgrass, Leersia oryzoides in the foreground. Leersia is an extremely valuable plant for wildlife; it provides both habitat and nutrition. We, the Tuesday Fern Valley volunteers and I, planted these last summer, then it got very dry, and they didn't look great. They look very good now.

The issue this growing season will be the inevitable appearance of Japanese Stiltgrass, Microstegium vimineum. An Asian invasive, it is very similar in appearance to Rice Cutgrass; the easiest distinguising character is a light glossy stripe that runs down the midrib of Stiltgrass but is absent from Leersia. Deer move the seeds on their hooves so it's only a matter of time. Then we'll have to weed.