On August 27, 2024, the Syosset AYLUS organization visited the Long Island Native Plant Initiative, which focuses on maintaining biodiversity, preserving native plants, and preventing the spread of invasive species. One invasive plant problem on Long Island is the Spotted Lanternfly, an insect originally from China and Vietnam that has spread to Japan, South Korea, and the United States. While it primarily feeds on Tree of Heaven, it also infests crops such as soybeans, grapes, and stone fruits. Spotted Lanternflies feed on a wide range of plant species, stressing and sometimes killing plants. They are significant agricultural pests, causing damage to grapevines, fruit trees, and hardwoods, which can reduce crop yields. Pam, the founder of the Long Island Native Plant Initiative, assigned us two tasks. The first was to walk around the nursery and locate and eliminate any Spotted Lanternflies to prevent further damage to the plants. The second task was seed cleaning, which involves separating seeds from seed pods and other non-seed material, known as chaff. Cleaning seeds helps improve storage, prevents decay in moist planting media, and reduces the risk of spreading disease. We were specifically cleaning Baptisia seeds, also known as Wild Indigo. Overall, the Syosset AYLUS organization was very successful in completing both tasks—removing invasive insects and cleaning seeds—contributing to the maintenance of biodiversity and the preservation of native plants on Long Island.
Members who particapted: Felix Zheng (2hrs) , Justin Lin (2hrs) , Michelle (4hrs) , Ranveer Kathpal (2hrs) , Kyle Bao (2hrs) , Erick Wu (2hrs) , Michael Qiao (2hrs) , Darren Gao (2hrs) , Aaron Wong (2hrs)
