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LEWISTOWN -- Every year, Mindy Wilt welcomes guests to the grounds at Little Buffalo State Park in Newport. Wilt, the park's environmental education specialist, said come to Little Buffalo for recreation or attend one of its many programs.
And then there are those unwelcome guests, or invasive species, that wreak havoc on the park landscape.
"Invasive species are all around us," Wilt said. "The more we look, unfortunately, the more we will see. Some have been with us since the Europeans first began settling this new world, while other new invasives appear every year.
"As a park naturalist and educator, part of my job is to keep up to date with the latest and most recent scientific information regarding invasives in Pennsylvania. Little Buffalo State Park hosts dozens of invasive species, and we work year-round to battle against them and try to promote our native species."
Wilt will talk about her experiences at the park to the Towpath Naturalist Society of Juniata and Mifflin County at its meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the St. John's Lutheran Church, 120 N. Main St., Lewistown. Attendees are encouraged to use the rear entrance. Wilt's presentation is called "Invasive Species."
"For our park, our worst invaders are plants," Wilt explained. "Mile-a-minute, autumn olive, oriental bittersweet and Japanese stiltgrass are just a few noxious weeds that plague our landscape.
"It can be incredibly frustrating to see an area once filled with native bluebells, trillium and orchids turn into a thick mat of stiltgrass or young tree saplings choked out by mile-a-minute."
One thing is clear to educators, like Wilt, the general public doesn't realize the toll that the overpopulation of deer takes on the native plant life. Invasive plants flourish in areas of high deer density, and deer prefer to browse on native plants over many non-native plants.
"It doesn't take long to start noticing a pattern -- when there are areas of heavy deer impact, invasives are the ones to move in," Wilt said.
She explained that many of the same invaders occur at other parks as well, but each park has its own battle to fight. For some, Japanese Knotweed and Wavyleaf Basketgrass are top concerns.
"Their waterways may contain giant snakehead fish, or zebra and quagga mussels," Wilt explained. "It's certainly something that should be on everyone's mind, whether you are a self-proclaimed naturalist, outdoor enthusiast, or just curious about our natural world."
Her presentation will cover what invasives are in this area as well as their impact on the native life and what economic cost is involved with fighting these species.
"Invasive species affect everyone, so it's important that we all do our part to try and limit their spread and prevent new ones from occurring," Wilt said.
With limited staff and funding, it's nearly impossible for Wilt and others to do much at the park level. They rely heavily on volunteers and occasionally on outside forces, such as forestry and our resource management divisions, to help them tackle invasives at state parks.
The Towpath Naturalists always welcome new members and guests. Annual dues are $10.
For more information, call (717) 248-0883. The Towpath Naturalists are also working to create a Facebook page.