Holt Research Forest Welcomes Research Techs and Field Crew at Invasive Species Removal Party

Three teams of Maine TREE staff, Holt Research Forest Technicians, Field Researchers, and Volunteers head out to tackle projects throughout the forest.

Maine TREE staff and colleagues held the 2025 field season kickoff event on Thursday, June 5, 2025! In the morning, Maine TREE staff gathered to welcome and mingle with the newest 2025 research staff, including field crews and interns. In the afternoon, attendees and volunteers split up to tackle exciting projects throughout the Holt Research Forest property, including invasive plant removal and wood stacking.

Two invasive removal teams began the laborious process of manually removing Phragmites australis and Fallopia japonic, commonly known as non-native common reed and knotweed, respectively. Non-native common reed dominates marshes and wetlands, outcompeting its native counterpart. Knotweed is a highly invasive plant commonly found on roadsides and construction sites. Both species have been found and reported in small populations at HRF, and this year, Maine TREE staff and field crews are tackling the problem. Future removals will include smaller patches of bittersweet and honeysuckle. Depending on funding, we plan to take a more aggressive and tested approach using chemical management techniques.

HRF Technician Ash removes Phragmites australis

HRF Field Crew Member Kiernan removes Fallopia japonic.

A third team loaded a cord of firewood onto a trailer and unloaded the wood at the home of a local resident.  The cord of wood was initially stacked as part of our 2024 Stack-a-Cord fundraising campaign, which used the act of physically stacking firewood to measure our progress toward our fundraising goal. The wood stacked is then donated to a local community member in need to help them keep warm in winter. This donation is made possible in part thanks to a collaboration with Midcoast Woodbank. If you’d like to contribute to the 2025 Stack-a-Cord fundraising campaign, visit www.mainetree.com/donate.

HRF Research Technician Alex loads firewood to be donated to a family in need.

We have a full field season ahead of us, so stay tuned for more updates about our newest staff members and their activities, as well as future volunteer opportunities at Holt Research Forest!