In 2010, Congress appropriated 5 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Of that, the National Park Service (NPS) received approximately .5 million to invest in the overall health of the Great Lakes, and to address long-standing ecosystem issues. Invasive Species control is one segment of the GRLI.
What are Invasive Species? Invasive plants are introduced species that can thrive in areas beyond their natural range of dispersal. These plants are characteristically adaptable, aggressive, and have a high reproductive capacity. Their vigor combined with a lack of natural enemies often leads to outbreak populations.
Through a short term study at several National Park Sites, it was determined that a large amount of invasive plants are transferred to and from the park via the unknowing visitors’ shoes! The NPS partnered with Pannier to engineer a solution to the problem. Together, they were able to build a completely custom invasive plant seed remover (official title is pending).
Integrating Boot Scrushers onto wayside exhibit bases is not anything out of the ordinary for Pannier. Where the uniqueness of this exhibit came in was the method of separating harmless environmental features from the harmful invasive plant seeds. A removable ‘seed pan’, with an integrated filtering system, was developed. As a visitor scrushes their shoes, the dirt, mud, and rocks will fall down into the grating. This will then separate and allow the very small invasive plant seeds to fall down into the removable pan. On a regular maintenance schedule, any park official can remove the seed pan, dispose of the plant seeds, wash it out, and replace it into the Scrusher system.
Pannier is proud to have partnered with the National Park Service on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative project. And whether we work with the NPS, or the community park down the road, Pannier is proud to lend a helping hand wherever we can.
To find out how we can help find a solution to your parks’ needs, just ask! Building a completely custom experience is not as complex as it might seem. Give our dedicated sales team a call at 1-800-544-8428, or fill out a Contact Us form with more information on your specific project.