Invasive plant species in the Maple Leaf Reservoir Park and its impacts.
How many types of flowers do you recognize when you are walking around? Probably few at most. It is more likely that you would think they’re just a colorful addition to your walk. If you are interested in plants, you might recognize several species. Who knows? You might be the type of person to take a picture of the flowers because you are intrigued and you want to know more about them. But it is unlikely that you would’ve given a thought about whether they are native or non-native species. Also, it is more unlikely that you would’ve thought that some plants may actually be doing harm to the land. Regarding that matter, I welcome you to the Maple Leaf Reservoir Park, where invasive species such as Hawkweed are wreaking havoc. We are talking about this park today because this park represents the numerous neighborhood parks that you can find in Seattle, and it is being attacked. Founded in 2013, this park has not been free from various invasive plants. While this park has been actively dealing with the invasive plants to eradicate them, some can still be found, such as Hawkweed. They look like small dandelions, and you might even think it's cute, however, they are one of the invasive species that's not just present in this park but is present in the Washington State overall and are damaging the parks. To be honest, the Maple Leaf Reservoir Park is not a park where you'll see the most beautiful view of Seattle or find complete freedom from the busy city life and be immersed in nature. However, it is still a friendly neighborhood park that gives you comfort. Couples, friends, pets and the owners can all walk on the trail and make some good memories, get relaxation near the meadows, or even have a little picnic! In other words, it is mostly used by the neighbors near the park, with occasional visits from photographers or dog owners from other neighborhood looking for a good meadow to run around. While the park's intention is to present visitors with the experience of viewing various local plant species, there are many steps needed for this to finally happen for the visitors as obstacles like Hawkweed still exist. We will walk along the park today and talk about why these plants are hazardous, the importance of keeping these invasive species out of the park, and we will also take a look at what is currently being done for the park. Now, let’s take few steps to actually get inside the park and start taking a walk around the park.
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