A group of DLC volunteers remove invasive plants, opening up hedgerows and improving habitat at the Buttercup Farm Audubon Sanctuary
On a February day that felt more like mid-spring, DLC volunteers hiked through the fields of the eastern side of the Buttercup Farm Audubon Sanctuary in Stanfordville. Their destination was a hedgerow marked out by preserve manager Dave Decker as needing habitat improvement. Since DLC volunteers had last worked on removing invasive plants at the Sanctuary in September 2022 there had been a marked increase in the number of bobolinks and other grass nesting birds found there. The volunteers quickly got to work on their task - removing bittersweet vines and other non-native plants so the hedgerows could provide the open views that the birds need. Volunteers showed great gusto and enthusiasm as they hacked and sawed at vines and shrubs and, within just a few hours, had cleared an impressive stretch of hedgerow. A tremendous thank you to the DLC volunteers and all they do to improve our natural places in Dutchess County!
