Volunteers needed to deal with Japanese knotweed in Duluth

Stopping the invasion of a bamboo-like species into Duluth won’t be a short-term project.
“It can take five to seven years of active management to control them,” Cheryl Skafte said of the Japanese knotweed, first reported in the Duluth area last summer.
Skafte, volunteer coordinator for the city, was discussing a monthlong effort described by the Parks and Recreation Department as “September bamboo blastings.”
A group was to gather in an area close to Kingsbury Creek, not far from the Lake Superior Zoo, on Tuesday. Additional sessions will be from 5-6:30 p.m. the next three Tuesdays at other locations. The events are designed to use the efforts of volunteer crews while showing the volunteers how to deal with Japanese knotweed on their properties.
The area selected for Tuesday covers an acre of land that had been taken over by the invasive species. Because volunteers already have spent hundreds of hours working at the site this summer, the tall, leafy plants with hollow stems that characterize the species aren’t visible. But areas where Japanese knotweed have taken over need to be cleared frequently, Skafte said.
It’s almost impossible to dig out the roots, she added.
Japanese knotweed crowds out native vegetation and is considered an ecological threat, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Future “blastings” are:
* Sept. 16, 5-6:30 p.m., meet at  40th Avenue East and the Lakewalk.
* Sept. 23, 5-6:30 p.m., meet at  58th Avenue East and the Lakewalk.
* Sept. 30, 5-6:30 p.m., meet at Chester Parkway and East Skyline Parkway.
For more information, contact Skafte at (218) 730-4334 or cskafte@duluthmn.gov . Also, email Skafte to report a knotweed patch.