BETHEL – More than 20 volunteers arrived at the Evans Notch Visitor Center on Sept. 20 in observance of National Public Lands Day. The students came prepared to spend the day walking through 10 acres of White Mountain National Forest land on the Androscoggin Ranger District searching for and removing two types of invasive plant species.

Armed with tools, gloves and hard hats the volunteers, a group of Outward Bound students, offered their services for the day in an attempt to eliminate Japanese barberry (berberis thunbergii) and burning bush (euonymus) from the area.

The plants, both native to Asia and brought to North America in the 19th century, were originally introduced as ornamentals, often planted as hedges, foundation plantings and along highways because of their brilliant attractive fall colors. Having escaped from cultivation, mainly by birds and animals dropping the seeds in flight, these non-native species are now outcompeting the native plants creating an imbalance in a habitat that other plants, birds and animals in the forest depend on.

More than 60 70-gallon bags of branches, leaves and root systems were dug up in preparation for proper disposal.