Blackberry Removal Project

Fall 2025

In late September and early October, we removed from the woods about
800 feet of wire fencing topped with barb wire which we took to metal
recycling. The removal of this fencing will make it much easier for deer,
coyotes, foxes, and other wildlife to make use of this habitat. It also made it
faster and easier for our contractors to work on removing the blackberries.
We hired the nonprofit Walama Restoration Project to carry out the
removal. The staff of this group has knowledge of native plant identification
so that they can avoid damaging similar-looking native plants such as
Dewberry and Nooktka Rose. On October 6, three staff spent eight
hours cutting the canes with brush cutters. Then, on November 24-25, six
staff spent 14 hours digging up the crowns. Sharon and Jim transported the
crowns into the graveled area behind the barn and left them there to be
burned later after they dry out and regulations permit, along with a large pile
of English Hawthorns which we also cut down. See the photos below for the
effect of the operation.

During the spring, we will look for any non-native blackberries which
sprout in this area and dig them up. If native plants are not filling in the
areas where blackberries were removed, we will seed and/or transplant
appropriate species. We will continue collecting data to see how the
blackberry removal affects the biodiversity in the woodlands.