By: Shaylyn Lewis, Marc Snyder, Jordan Landsman, Gina Stinemire, Zoey Rubinoff and Evan Magness

Harford Glen was purchased by Harford County Public Schools in 1948 with the conditions of:  Keeping it in a natural environment  Using it for environmental education

Problem Invasive species are taking over other native plants around the peninsula at Harford Glen.

How has the stewardship of Harford Glen impacted its environment?

Research Question To what extent are the non-native invasive plant species establishing themselves on the peninsula at Harford Glen?

 Invasive plants are plants that take over and harm an area or environment by spreading rapidly and destroying other sources of biodiversity.  Some invasive species (plants) are Japanese Hop, Devil’s Tear Thumb, Purple Loosestrife and Japanese Stilt Grass.

 Grows up to 10 feet and has prickles  Female and male leaves are born on separate plants  Needs plentiful sunlight and moisture; it usually grow s near bodies of water  Japanese Hop is originally from China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Russia  Used as an ornamental vine and medicine  Came to America in the 1800

PlayersBeliefs Mr. Ramone “ Mowing would work better with herbicides, but Harford Glen doesn’t prefer or want to use them“. Mr. Burley “ Japanese Hop is interfering with projects like the checker spot butterfly enclosures /exclosures near the peninsula that keeps the deer from eating the white turtlehead, the butterfly’s ‘favorite plant’ ”.

PlayersBeliefs Mr. Ron “ Invasive species are a big problem to the environment ”. Mr. Cromwell “ I don’t like them. The invasive plants cause a lot of problems to the local plants and they change the landscape, and it’s just not normal.”

Research Area

We tracked the area where Japanese hop was growing with a GPS. Materials:  GPS  Long Clothes  Boots

Map of the Peninsula

Research Area

 The only place there was Japanese Hop was the peninsula.  Most of the Harford Glen peninsula is covered with Japanese Hop because it’s a flood plane.  The Japanese Hop outgrows all the other plants in the area.  The Japanese Hop is thriving direct or partial sunlight and moisture.  Some of the Japanese Hop vines have wrapped around the trees along the peninsula.

 If the Japanese Hop doesn't have sunlight it would die.  Japanese Hop will take over the other areas of Harford Glen, including the other invasives.  Japanese Hop in the peninsula seeds spread downstream, possibly from someone's garden.

Controlled Burn Goats Enemies Herbicides Weeding/Mowing

We recommend:  Goats  Mowing and Weeding

 Send an editorial to the newspaper persuading not to sell or buy Japanese Hop  Weed the Japanese Hop  Contact local farms and 4H about use of goats to clear Japanese Hop

 Mr. Smith  Mrs. Reichley  Miss Olivia Blondheim  Mr. Ramone  Mr. Ron  Mrs. Airing  Mr. Burley  Mrs. Murray  Mr. Cromwell  Mr. Pritchard