(BEDFORD) – Members of the group Keep Invasives in Check (KIC) received $860 from the Lawrence County Community Foundation for a Tool Share program.
Evie Phelps is excited about the potential of this program for Lawrence County landowners.
“Many landowners put off treating their invasives because they lack the equipment or tools to do the work,” Phelps said. “Now they can easily borrow the equipment they need and get the job done!”
The group was able to purchase an extensive collection of equipment with the funds from the Foundation. Phelps said most of the items conveniently fit in a five-gallon bucket for easy transport. The toolkit provides personal protective equipment for spraying, and measuring cups and funnels, and a safety checklist. There are also clippers, spray bottles, and dye to help track where you have sprayed. The group also purchased a 3-gallon backpack sprayer and a 1-gallon hand-held sprayer. There is also a “puller bear” which is a piece of equipment capable of leveraging invasive bushes and small trees like bush honeysuckle and autumn olive out of the ground with minimal effort.
The items are available at the SWCD office at 1919 Stevens Lane, behind Lowes. People just need to check out the equipment and bring it back clean. Contact Whitney Baldwin at the Lawrence County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Office: 812-279-8117 Ext. 3 to make an appointment to come pick up the toolkit and sign for it.
Members of KIC are hopeful the toolkit will receive a lot of use
Phelps said the group can purchase a second tool kit if the demand warrants because she knows there are enough invasives in the county to keep people busy. Landowner surveys are also offered if individuals are not sure what invasives they have on their property or where to start.
KIC works to promote awareness, identification, control, and prevention of invasive plants. For more information go to the KIC Facebook page. New members are always welcome, contact the SWCD office for more information on how to join the group.
