CLIENT: National Park Service

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area has ranked cape ivy (Delairea odorata) as the most threatening exotic weed on Park Service lands. The plants explosive growth rate and climbing growth habit allows it to quickly cover native habitat wherever it occurs. It has the unique ability to regenerate from small fragments making control extremely difficult. The plant now occurs on approximately 3,000 acres of National Park Service lands throughout the GGNRA and is invading new area at an astounding rate. Many of the threatened areas support rare plant communities and endangered plants and animals.

The precision removal of cape ivy and associated organic matter allows native vegetation to quickly rebound.

Shelterbelt was hired by the GGNRA to contain and control cape ivy in several high priority areas throughout the park. Most of the areas were difficult to reach and required long off-trail treks through steep terrain and thick native vegetation. Cape ivy removal requires extremely thorough treatments where much of the surface vegetation and all organic layers are removed to expose the cape ivy below. Skilled crews are necessary to identify and separate invasive cape ivy rhizomes from native plants. The precision removal of cape ivy and associated organic matter allows native vegetation to quickly rebound. Shelterbelt was able to provide crews with this skill. After removal, we covered bare treatment areas with erosion control fabrics and rice straw that were all packed in. All areas were left in a condition for Park Service volunteers and staff to follow-up and monitor the sites in the future.