Water chestnut (Trapa natans) is a floating-leaf invasive aquatic plant that many of us in the Hudson Valley are well aware of. The large rosettes mat the surface, blocking sunlight from native plants, and the seeds are sharp enough to penetrate the sole of your shoe! Manual pulling of water chestnut is still an effective way of managing an infestation as long as the seeds are still attached.
Together with New York Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historical Preservation and the Trail Conference Conservation Corps Aquatic Invasives Strike Force Crew, the Lower Hudson PRISM Aquatic Invasive Species Program hosted by Teatown Lake Reservation will be holding a volunteer water chestnut removal at Rockland Lake in Rockland Lake State Park. There will be some watercraft available, but please bring a kayak or canoe if you have one! Join us for the full day or a few hours.
If you're interested in helping out please email AIS Program Coordinator Lindsay Yoder at lyoder@teatown.org
