Our Santa Fe River Inc. (OSFR) will host a volunteer invasive water hyacinth removal day on Sunday, Aug. 16, at Rum Island Park, allowing community members to help protect the Santa Fe River while reducing the need for chemical herbicides.
The volunteer event will run from 9 a.m. to noon at Rum Island Park (1447 SW Rum Island Terrace, Fort White) along the Santa Fe River in southern Columbia County. For more information and to register, visit Our Santa Fe River Inc. or the Facebook event page.
Volunteers will work together to manually remove invasive water hyacinth from the river. Organizers say the effort is intended to reduce the need for state agencies to use chemical treatments to control the invasive plant.
When water hyacinth becomes overgrown, it can choke out native vegetation and disrupt the river’s natural ecosystem. Organizers say manually removing the plant can help keep the river clean while avoiding the effects associated with large-scale herbicide treatments, including the accumulation of decaying plant material on the riverbed.
The event is water-based, but boats are not required. Volunteers should come prepared with water-friendly clothing and shoes, work gloves, sunscreen, plenty of drinking water and a laundry basket for collecting plants.
Carpooling from Rum 138 is encouraged because parking at Rum Island Park is limited. Volunteers should check with Rum 138 staff for parking instructions. The park entrance fee will be waived for participants volunteering at the event.
OSFR co-founder Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson will demonstrate ways to use removed water hyacinth for basket weaving and has invited local weavers to participate and demonstrate their techniques.