SCIENCE & CONSERVATION
Diamonds in the Ditches: Road trips with botanists Zach Wood, grasslands coordinator I have a love-hate relationship with car rides, but my colleagues and I often find ourselves on the road in the name of conservation. Driving can be time-consuming, dangerous and hard on the body. However, I wish every Georgian could experience one of these long car rides with me because, inevitably, there may be a single stem or a splash of color that ignites an exchange of excitement. “Did you see that?” “What?” “Milkweed, rosinweeds, wild quinine, rattleweed.” If time allows, we quickly turn around to catch a glimpse of what may be a small remnant of grassland before continuing with our work. There are diamonds in the ditches. Have you noticed them? Our native flora tends to persist in the corners and on the outskirts. When you are near urban areas, the roadsides are dominated by non-native invasives, but as you move into rural landscapes, things change for the better.
Who cares about weeds on the roadside? Native plants are groceries for some critters and homes for others. These plants perform ecological services we often do not consider, like preventing erosion and filtering runoff. To top it all off, they are beautiful.
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State Botanical Garden of Georgia
Our roadsides hold remnants of grassland species. Some species, like the Royal Catchfly, only persist along a single roadside. These roadside remnants can serve as sources of plant materials for future conservation efforts in Georgia. Unfortunately, roadsides have also experienced significant shifts in management, causing domination by non-native invasive species like tall fescue and Chinese lespedeza. Public perception matters. Non-native invasive species dominate roadsides near urban areas. This situation is largely influenced by public perception and other factors. Vegetation management is one of the many responsibilities that departments of transportation must juggle. They consider safety, cost, aesthetics, ecological impact and more. Aesthetics, in particular, are subjective. Who determines what is aesthetically pleasing? We do! And for better or worse, we like things that look neat and kempt. The aesthetic standards set for our lawns, parks and golf courses have spilled over to our roadsides. Unfortunately, the management practices that produce this desired look are detrimental to our native flora, which cannot tolerate these mowing and herbicide regimes. However, there is hope. Public perception has the power to influence these matters.
So, what can you do? Keep an eye out for native wildflowers in your area. I encourage you to develop an appreciation for Georgia’s native flora. We don’t have to settle for non-native plants when we have our own, which possess unique beauty.
If you come across a patch of native wildflowers and unmown grasses on the roadside, reach out to a government representative and express your appreciation for the Georgia Department of Transportation and their dedicated efforts in conserving Georgia’s diamonds in the ditches. A few words of encouragement can go a long way to shaping a natural open space ethic, as they have shaped the current “lawn-like” roadsides. This is a stepping stone towards achieving ecologically valuable roadsides once again.
How you can help Start a protocol of praise for partners who leave open spaces unmowed for biodiversity. Contact companies, agencies, parks and schools, and thank them for their efforts on behalf of insects and other wildlife. Help locate remnant grasslands by joining our iNaturalist Georgia Grasslands Initiative project. Plant high-impact native plants in your garden or patio. “Mailbox gardens” can also make a difference. Check out Connect to Protect and Georgia Pollinator Plants of the Year on the State Botanical Garden’s website, botgarden.uga.edu. Reduce your mowed area by adding gardens or allowing flowers to grow throughout your green space, including clovers, dandelions, daisy fleabane, lyre-leaf sage, butterweeds, vervain and more.
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