River Action asks the public for help in eradicating honeysuckle infestation in the Amôwa Forest Reserve

Greta Solbrig, a member of River Action, says the Rock Island County Forest Preserve District has tried to remove honeysuckle from the Amôwa Forest Preserve.

“It’s everywhere, it’s extremely aggressive… interestingly, it can grow on trees,” Solbrig said in an interview with WVIK. “It’s pretty much everywhere, but the people at Amôwa have been working hard to remove a lot of it. Having a bunch of volunteers there at once will help them.”

Solbrig says River Action and the Amôwa Preserve provide gloves, pruning shears and water. Those interested should wear light clothing, long sleeves, pants and a hat to avoid contact with poison ivy or ticks.

Solbrig says eliminating the pest infestation is easy and you can learn to identify this invasive species.

“This protected area is so important because it provides ideal habitat for pollinators and must be managed to keep invasive species away,” Solbrig said.

The Amôwa Forest Preserve is a 172-acre property in East Moline. It is named after the Sauk word for “bee” in hopes of honoring the Sauk people by preserving the property and promoting biodiversity in the area.

“If you are interested in participating in this event, we ask that you confirm your participation at [email protected]. After you confirm, you will receive more information on navigating the preserve,” said Solbrig. Participants can meet at the west entrance of the forest preserve.

River Action is also hosting FloatZilla on the Mississippi on August 16. Solbrig says this is the last week before registration prices go up. Paddlers will launch from five locations in the Quad Cities

“We tried to break the world record for the largest gathering of canoes and kayaks in one body of water,” Solbrig said. “Everyone comes with their kayak or canoe, or if they don’t have one, they can borrow one. It’s like a big party; people come together and hang out.”