Got Knotweed?

We took a bike ride after work today, to Tall Trees Cemetery and the campus of Hometown University. It is a perfect day for bike riding. Or maybe it just seems that way because it was the first ride of the season, the novelty of cool air rushing by, the smooth immersion in speed of one's own creation. Or maybe it was the glow of the evening light, and how it basked the deserted campus.


Aside from the normal water bottle, I had a little something extra in my bike bag: a vial of dessicant and a folded sheet of instructions. I had read last month over at the Invasive Species Weblog about a grad student doing research into the genetic diversity of Japanese knotweed, Polygonum cuspidatum. Jonna, the UMass student, is looking for samples from different parts of the country. I am obviously a sucker for all things plant related, so I sent an email offering my plucking services.


Got knotweed in your neck of the woods, too? Head on over to the Invasive Species Weblog and find out how to contribute.