Purple Loosestrife
 
Niobrara High School was recently announced the winner of the State Farm Learn & Serve Youth Leadership for Service-Learning Excellence Award
San Jose
Purple loosestrife, a beautiful
but aggressive invader, arrived in eastern North America in the early
1800's. Plants were brought to North America by settlers for their
flower gardens, and seeds were present in the ballast holds of European
ships that used soil to weigh down the vessels for stability on the
ocean. Since it was introduced, purple loosestrife has spread westward
and can be found across much of Canada and the United States. Purple loosestrife is a very hardy perennial which can rapidly
degrade wetlands, diminishing their value for wildlife habitat.
Wetlands are the most biologically diverse, productive component of our
ecosystem. Hundreds of species of plants, birds, mammals, reptiles,
insects, fish and amphibians rely on healthy wetland habitat for their
survival. However, when purple loosestrife gets a foothold, the habitat where
fish and wildlife feed, seek shelter, reproduce and rear young, quickly
becomes choked under a sea of purple flowers. Areas where wild rice
grows and is harvested, and where fish spawn, are degraded. An
estimated 190,000 hectares of wetlands, marshes, pastures and riparian
meadows are affected in North America each year, with an economic
impact of millions of dollars. Many organizations throughout North America have taken action to
control the spread of purple loosestrife. Their response has been
characterized by unparallelled cooperation. National wildlife services,
state/provincial natural resource and environment agencies,
universities, nursery trades associations, and conservation and
community organizations have responded to the purple loosestrife
invasion by raising awareness of the threat posed by this invasive
plant, and how to prevent its spread. Individuals, resource managers and community groups can make a
valuable contribution to conserving our wetlands for future generations
by acting on the information in this brochure. http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/ais/purpleloosestrife_info
This project originated four
years ago when the Niobrara State Park invited our high school biology class to
observe a conservation activity on the local banks of the Missouri
River. Those students observed members of Nebraska Game and Parks,
Northeast Nebraska Weed Control Board, US Army Corps of Engineers, and the
Natural Resource District working together to control Purple Loosestrife, an
invasive wetland plant, by propagating Galerucella beetles. These beetles help maintain biodiversity in
the unique wetland ecosystem around Niobrara, Nebraska by destroying Purple
Loosestrife plants. Those original
biology students convinced Mrs. Hanzlik to continue the project the following
year because helping these agencies would be an enjoyable, interesting extension
of the biology curriculum. Students
collaborated with the various state and federal agencies to raise the
Galerucella beetles with funds provided by Learn and Serve America, which were
distributed on public lands. The effect the beetles had on Purple Loosestrife
infestations was documented. The result has been an increase in diversity in
wetlands that were once completely infested with the "purple plague".
Upon reflection, the second year biology class realized how much our town depends on our environment. It is
common knowledge that our small community relies heavily on tourism dollars from hunters, fishers, boaters, and campers. If the biodiversity was lost, the
habitats for gamebirds, fish, and deer would also be lost. People won't come to Niobrara to eat at the cafes, gas up at the
stations, or stock up on camping groceries anymore. In the spirit of scientific
inquiry, we developed a survey that would generate data as to how much business
income is generated from visitors in Niobrara
for the specific purpose of utilizing our beautiful environment. The survey
showed that Niobrara businesses, besides the
local bank, hair salons, and medical clinic, rely on visitors to provide 75-98%
of their income. Further study indicated that 75-85% of those visitors were
here specifically to enjoy the natural resources. The core economy of Niobrara was in jeopardy and only a handful of people
knew. It was a sobering realization; the project was no longer a fun excuse to
go outside, rather it became a matter of saving the students' summer jobs and
their parents' businesses.
It was clear that we needed to
expand our project. This time, instead of working alone to raise the beetles,
we shared our goal with other schools in the area. Working with the support of
Educational Service Unit #1 and funding from Learn and Serve America, the Niobrara biology students hosted a workshop in March 2009
and invited science teachers from across the state. Mrs. Hanzlik shared how she
used this project to not only meet state and local science standards, but more
importantly, give students the opportunity to do "real" science work
and engage them in problem-based learning. Out of that successful workshop,
four other schools committed to support our environmental efforts.
The attention in newspapers we received at the local and
state level was great positive feedback and encouraged us to keep working.
Local people are now aware of the issue and are supportive of our needs. At the
end of the year, each student wrote a paper summarizing and reflecting on our
experience. Having a successful project and being part of something this big
has given us a sense of pride and community spirit.
(2) Our project has made the students into great leaders. These leadership skills were displayed on
April 22, 2009 (Earth Day), when our biology class hosted students from guest
schools for a workshop. Throughout the
day, the Niobrara students demonstrated how to
collect beetle larvae by digging Purple Loosestrife roots from the cattails. Niobrara students also modeled how to take soil samples
from around the plant's roots, which were used for pH testing. The guest students also had the opportunity
to meet the agency professionals that we work with throughout the year. Every school went home excited about continuing
the project with us next year. Through
the Learn and Serve America Grant, we will continue to provide support to these
"satellite" projects as well.
(3) Our project makes a huge difference
in our local community. First, it creates awareness about the impact purple
loosestrife and other invasive species have on our community. Second, our
project actually makes a difference in the environment. We help eliminate
purple loosestrife in our local wetlands environment, which helps keep our
native wildlife here. Third, our project helps the businesses in our community.
We had all of the businesses in town fill out a survey, which showed that
Purple Loosestrife could drastically hurt the town≠s economy.
(4) Our project has also
included great personal growth for the students. Each student had to apply for
Project Manager positions, including writing letters of application, resumes,
and a job interview process. During the project, we completed interest surveys,
wrote reflections and essays to define our opinion, evaluated articles, and did
traditional tests. This project has been
a great opportunity for the students.
Students are involved more in their community, and the project gives
them a sense of appreciation of nature. It makes them understand that the
environment is not permanent and that we must help maintain and protect it. Our
project also helps the students learn about our town's economy and informs them
about how much it relies on tourism. This project helps the students develop
many important life skills. These skills, especially the job interview
skills, will be used by the students throughout their adult lives as they go to
college and apply for jobs in their future. By Michael Kotrous and Tyler Stark, former Biology students 
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This Page was last update: Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 9:41:11 AM
This page was originally posted: 10/23/09; 12:06:20 PM.
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