This spring, volunteers at Capital City Bird Sanctuary logged 146 hours working to improve habitat for birds, butterflies, frogs and people! Volunteers did an outstanding job removing over 1,000 pounds of invasive plant species at Capital City Bird Sanctuary. One school group and seven independent volunteers battled the two biggest spring invasives: garlic mustard and dame's rocket. These two herbaceous plants hail from Eurasia and pose a significant threat to our native habitats. Both invasive species spread rapidly across Michigan forests and easily out-compete native plant species, especially sensitive spring ephemerals like trillium. To make matters worse, our native deer, rabbits, and insects turn their noses up at these foreign greens.

By removing invasive species and replacing them with native plants, we will provide excellent sources of food, cover, and nesting locations for local birds. For example, garlic mustard is spreading across the beautiful wet prairie, excluding plants like milkweeds, bergamot, and sedges that provide seeds, nectar, insects, and nesting material for finches, hummingbirds, butterflies, and cardinals.

In contrast, garlic mustard supports few insects, produces inedible seeds, and is not used for cover or nesting materials by birds. Other ground-dwelling species including frogs, snakes, and small mammals do not use areas dominated by garlic mustard, as it is largely unpalatable and does not provide dense cover to hide from predators.

When volunteers were not destroying invasive plants, they helped to clear fallen brush, prepare native demonstration gardens, and survey the plants and birds present on the property. Our volunteers are essential to win the war against invasive species and restore the native habitat that welcomes birds and other critters to Capital City Bird Sanctuary.

Michigan Audubon would like to thank our amazing spring volunteers for all of the hard work they put into our sanctuary! We truly appreciate your support and dedication.

This summer Michigan Audubon staff and volunteers will work on weeding the demonstration prairie, cutting down invasive shrubs such as multiflora rose, autumn olive and Japanese barberry, and collecting native plant seeds to propagate in the areas where invasive species have been removed.

We have big plans for the Capital City Bird Sanctuary. This property will be an urban nature preservenot only for breeding birds, but a variety of other critters as well. As we replace invasive plants with native berry-producing shrubs, seed-producing wildflowers, and insect larval host plants, we expect to see an increase in the number and diversity of birds utilizing the property. We still have a lot of work to do to reach our goal but with our fantastic volunteers and the support of the community, Capital City Bird Sanctuary has a bright future.

Regular workdays are schedule at the sanctuary every Wednesday morning from 9AM to 12 (noon) and every fourth Saturday of the month from 9 AM to 12 (noon). If you are interested in joining the volunteer crew at Capital City Bird Sanctuary, contact Rachelle Roake at RRoake@michiganaudubon.org or by phone at 517-641-4277.

For additional information or photos to use with this announcement, contact Michigan Audubon's, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Mallory King at mallory@michiganaudubon.org or 517-641-4277.

Michigan Audubon Society is a 501(C)3 nonprofit charitable trust. Any publicity provided qualifies as a Public