Our history books tell us the story of Paul Revere with a bit of poetic license. Historian Patrick Leehey, Research Director at the Paul Revere House in Boston describes the event with more accuracy but the overall catalyst and response remain an important part of our history. The revolution recount below is from Leehey’s publication.
On the evening of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere was summoned by Dr. Joseph Warren of Boston and given the task of riding to Lexington, Massachusetts, with the news that regular troops were about to march into the countryside northwest of Boston.
Our history books tell us Revere was a lone rider in opposition to the might of the British Empire, when in fact Revere was just a cog, although an important one, in an elaborate warning system set up by the Sons of Liberty to spread an alarm quickly and efficiently.
Just as it was no surprise that British regular troops were preparing that evening to march into the countryside, today it is of no surprise that invasive plants are marching into our forest, our backyards, and our town-owned greenbelts.
Perhaps a single lopper pruning shear or saw might be set out in the Jericho Community Green to mean the invaders are marching "by land", to alert us to their silent approach and prompt us to get out our cutting tools and take up the call to action.
As Revere approached the house where John Hancock was staying, Sergeant Monroe (a sentry on duty) told him not to make so much noise, that everyone in the house had retired for the night. Revere cried “Noise! You’ll have noise enough before long! The regulars are coming out!”
Indeed today, the cry must go out, the invaders are marching upon us, and not slowly like the British soldiers of 1775. The invasive plants spread quickly and make a tremendous disturbance to our Vermont forest as well as town and private land. Invasive plants are killing birds, and much other wildlife as well as displacing our historic habitat, that we cherish.
Invasive plants are filling in, displacing, and replacing Vermont's historic habitat while upsetting the ecosystems we are all reliant upon. Some (like knotweed) are extremely difficult to manage. Honeysuckle at least gives us a fighting chance. We can at least diminish its chance to spread by cutting it down and preventing it from going to seed.
Will you learn about invasives, the harm they cause, how fast they spread, and how you can help manage them? Will you grab a pair of loppers and cut down invasive honeysuckle?
Our sense of place, as well as our health and well-being and that of nature, are in danger of disintegrating.
Let's not wait until we can see the whites of their eyes, as by then they will have us surrounded and outnumbered. Surrender not! Let us take action now.
Cut down invasive honeysuckle. Put a notch on your belt for each one you cut down. Write our history of tomorrow today. Let it say we in Jericho took action as good stewards of the land.
PS, Join our very small militia on Saturday, June 5 any time from 9am to noon as we take a few shots at the enemy (invasive honeysuckle). See details in this post.
https://jerichovermont.blogspot.com/2021/06/seeking-volunteers-for-invasive.html
View the Vermont invasive web page and my post "Are we giving up without a fight? Honeysuckle Plant Invasion" to become more familiar with the plants that are recognized as invasive and how to tell them apart from the plants that are part of Vermont's historic habitat. Learn what harm they cause, and how we can manage them.
Bernie
Observing life in nature.
Connecting Vermont's historic habitat and wildlife, with our community.
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