Registration open for garlic mustard 'Super Pull'

Western New York Land Conservancy gathers forces to combat invasive plant in Lewiston

Scout groups, civic organizations, families and individuals are invited to participate in a friendly competition to see who can pull the most garlic mustard, an aggressive plant that harms native wildflowers. Volunteers will join forces with the Western New York Land Conservancy for a one-day "Super Pull" at the Lewiston Plateau Habitat Area Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Prizes will be awarded to the team that pulls the most garlic mustard.

The "Super Pull" is just one event in the "Garlic Mustard Challenge," a three-month assault on garlic mustard by Friends of Reinstein Nature Preserve, Buffalo Audubon Society and the Land Conservancy. Challenge teams can visit the Land Conservancy's Kenneglenn Nature Preserve, Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve or Buffalo Audubon's Beaver Meadow Nature Center as often as they like from April 12 to June 12 to pull garlic mustard. Nature preserve staff will keep track of how much garlic mustard each team pulls. The team that pulls the most garlic mustard at each nature preserve during the three-month challenge will receive a prize.

Garlic mustard was originally brought to the U.S. from Europe as a source of food, but it escaped from gardens and invaded forests throughout the eastern U.S., crowding out native wildflowers like trillium and Dutchman's breeches. Fortunately, garlic mustard is easy to identify and easy to remove by hand, even for a child. Last year, hundreds of volunteers participating in the challenge pulled more than 4,000 pounds of garlic mustard.

Groups interested in participating in the one-day "Super Pull" in Lewiston or other "Garlic Mustard Challenge" events must register by calling Reinstein Woods at 716-683-5959. For more information about the "Super Pull" in Lewiston, contact Lauren Surowiec at the Western New York Land Conservancy at 716-687-1225.