"Pullin' weeds and pickin' stones..."

Last week, after one week's delay, we had a work day in the brazilian pepper removal site. A dozen Eckerd College students got up by 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, despite late night Roman celebrations that many had attended, and used loppers and hand saws and shoulders and backs to cut and pile the brazilian pepper trees (Schinus terebinthifolius) that had once covered the entire peninsula section of the Palm Hammock. This project has had college students slowly saw and lop through stand of about three acres of trees, much of which is now covered in dog fennel (Eupatorium capillifolium) and dangle pod or is sprouting a sea myrtle (Baccharis halimifolia) and baby live oak (Quercus virginiana) forest.

Saturday, the students worked primarily on removing the tops, cutting the trunks and branches into straight pieces and piling them in between the palm trees trees you see in the bottom photograph. We also dug two or three big stumps. I am hoping the pile, which students were careful to make parallel and pack down as tightly as they could, will prevent the brazilian pepper sprouts that were coming up between these trees from growing. I have decided to allow the sprouts that are littered throughout last spring's clearing areas grow. There are more than any of us could get in one sweep, and they are not now large enough to pull from a standing position. I will wait until they have grown enough to be seen, and then we'll make a day of it. By the end of the shift, the remaning students were ready for a cooling shower and perhaps an afternoon in the beach side hammock. "We are made of dreams and bones."

Thanks to Stephen, Kathryn, Philip, Veronika, Noah, Rosie, Robin, Walker, Elise, Taylor, and Margie for all your hard work!