Volunteers Along the Appalachian Trail Remove Thousands of Pounds of Invasive Garlic Mustard

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. - June 24, 2015 - PRLog -- The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home) (ATC) is proud to announce that a total of 2,772 pounds of the invasive, non-native plant garlic mustard have been removed from the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) corridor. The removal efforts, carried out by 169 volunteers who contributed more than 750 hours, were part of the ATC’s 2015 Garlic Mustard Challenge (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/what-we-do/conservation/garlic-mustard-challenge).

“The first ever Appalachian Trail Garlic Mustard Challenge was a huge success thanks to all the Trail Management Clubs and volunteers who participated,” said Marian Orlousky, northern resource management coordinator for the ATC. “The removal of garlic mustard on such a large scale not only went a long way to reduce garlic mustard spread along the Appalachian Trail, but it was also a great way to educate and empower volunteers.”

Garlic mustard was chosen as the 2015 Invasive Trail Plant of the Year because of its ability to invade a variety of natural environments, including undisturbed forested areas. Garlic mustard not only deprives native plants of sunlight, moisture and space, but also releases a chemical compound into the ground that inhibits growth of surrounding plants. Despite its tenacious nature, garlic mustard can easily be pulled by hand, making it an excellent candidate for volunteer removal efforts.

For more information about the 2015 Garlic Mustard Challenge, visit http://www.appalachiantrail.org/garlicmustard. (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/what-we-do/conservation/g...)

About the Appalachian Trail Conservancy          The ATC was founded in 1925 by volunteers and federal officials working to build a continuous footpath along the Appalachian Mountains. A unit of the National Park System, the A.T. ranges from Maine to Georgia and is approximately 2,190 miles in length. It is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. The mission of the ATC is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail – ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come. For more information, please visit www.appalachiantrail.org. (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home)

Contact: Javier Folgar
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Tel: 304.885.0481

Fax: 304.535.2667
Email: jfolgar@appalachiantrail.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ATHike
Web: www.appalachiantrail.org