Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi working to Restore Wetland

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Sisters Working to Restore Wetland

A two- to three-year wetland restoration project is underway on the grounds at the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi on Lake Drive that will eventually return the area running along the southern edge of the convent grounds to its natural state.
 
According to Sister Helene Mertes, an environmental study was done on the property in 2009, and it was determined that the area, known locally as the Deer Creek Wetland, near the property border with St. Francis Seminar, should be restored. The sisters are working with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which has provided a grant to cover the expense of the project. (Photo above shows a small section of the knotweed growing in the wetland area last summer. All of the growth forward of the tree line is knotweed.)
 
"Our goal is to clean up the overgrowth in the area and plant it with native wet meadow plant species," Sister Helene explains. She has previous experience as manager of grounds, gardens and greenhouse production at St. Coletta of Wisconsin in Jefferson.
 
"The environmental study showed us that we have an overgrowth of Japanese knotweed, which is an extremely aggressive and invasive plant, and we need to get rid of that," she explains. The knotweed grows very quickly and spreads by rhizomes underground. While the stalks resemble bamboo, it is not part of the bamboo family. "It has very large leaves which block out light so other plants cannot grow in the area where the knotweed has taken over," she adds.
 
Eliminating the weed totally will require mowing, cutting down the established plants and disposing of them properly, and minimal spot spraying. Sister Helene is licensed by the DNR as an aquatic applicator. "Since the area is designated a wetland, special precautions will be in place so that no water bodies are contaminated."
 
The appropriate permits have been obtained from the DNR and spraying times will be posted at the site. "The herbicide used (glyphosate-based) is not harmful to humans, but avoiding walks through the area during the posted times is necessary so that the herbicide will not be transferred to desirable plants. Transfer can only occur when the application is wet, but spraying will occur at intervals and drying times can vary.
 
"This will not be a quick-fix program and will take time and patience," she continues. "Our plan is to work at eliminating the knotweed within the next two to three years. We will introduce native plants to the area at that time. Our ultimate goal is to turn this area into a beautiful, natural habitat that can be enjoyed by humans as well as native species of wildlife."