Battling phragmites is daunting but we’ve proven it can be successful

By MPP Toby Barrett

Standing at the Joe Csubak Lookout on Front Road overlooking the Turkey Point Marsh, one can see a vibrant wetland that was a few years ago a sea of phragmites. 

For those not familiar with this invasive species, Phragmites australis is an invasive non-native plant that grows densely, can reach nearly 19 feet in height, and crowds out native plants and animals. The plant grows mainly in wetlands and along roadway ditches, and it rapidly became the predominant plant in the Long Point Bay marshes.