Combating Invasive Species in the Museum Park

Invasive plants are a challenge worldwide, changing ecosystems’ structures by disrupting their complex environments. Additionally, they decrease biodiversity and prevent native forest understories (layers of vegetation beneath the forest canopy) from developing, reducing habitat for birds, woodland animals, and insects. With 164 acres of parkland to maintain and preserve, the NCMA has worked to devise creative solutions that combat the threats posed by these forces.

For many years, invasive shrubs and vines, such as privet and English ivy, dominated the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park’s forest understory and prevented the natural propagation process of hardwoods and plants. By removing these invasive shrubs and vines, we provide space for oaks and other hardwood tree species to germinate and sustain the future health of the forest canopy. Areas in which we’ve removed English ivy have seen the reemergence of species—such as cutleaf grape fern and bloodroot—that had been waiting in the soil for the proper amount of space and sunlight to grow.

The more open forest understory also expands sight lines into the woodlands, making the forest a more inviting and aesthetically pleasing space for the public to visit and enjoy.

Eight years ago, we began restoring a woodland habitat in the Museum Park. By removing invasive plant species and replanting the forest understory with native plants, we aim to provide food and shelter for a wide variety of wildlife. Native trees, shrubs, ferns, and wildflowers have been planted in restored forest areas to increase biodiversity in the forest and fortify the woodlands’ resilience to future invasions.

Many invasive species were introduced to our community as landscape plants. Their seeds arrive in natural areas where they become established and spread, displacing plants native to the Piedmont region. The “Explore Plant Life” page on NCMA Learn lists a variety of native plants that make excellent landscape alternatives to invasive plants.

Managing invasive plant species in the Museum Park requires significant resources annually as well as a variety of management tools and methods. The Jandy Ammons Foundation has been a great partner in the execution of this project, and the Museum thanks them for their continued support. This fall the Museum completed a pilot project, employing 43 goats in the management of undesirable plant material—such as white mulberry, Japanese stiltgrass, poison ivy, and English ivy—in a two-acre section of woods. The goats efficiently cleared the project area, leaving only their natural fertilizer behind to improve the soil. This project represents one of the many ways the NCMA has diversified its approach to invasive plant management in the Museum Park.