Ticked Off! Invasive Plants and Lyme Disease—A Surprising Connection

Of all the ways to protect ourselves against Lyme disease, planting “this” instead of “that” isn’t usually part of the conversation. And yet, knowing which plants attract disease-carrying ticks can make a difference. Japanese barberry, a non-native ornamental shrub that’s popular for its deer resistance, became established on New England’s post-agricultural lands in the early 1900s. It has invaded our forests, stifling native tree and wildflower regeneration and altering soil chemistry. Extensive research has revealed there is a link between Japanese barberry infestations and blacklegged (aka “deer”) ticks and the causal agent of Lyme disease with which they are infected.

New Canaan’s Open Space Map Updated, Protection Strategy Laid Out

New Canaan should formalize its existing open space protections to achieve preservation goals as well as to ensure the “perpetual existence” of beloved town assets, researchers said last week. The town’s most effective financial strategy will be some combination of bonds for large projects and an Open Space Fund allocation for smaller projects and associated costs, according to two graduate students at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. And the best way to leverage funds is for the town and nonprofit New Canaan Land Trust to work together, the students— Eve Boyce and Katie Panek—said during a Dec. 11 presentation at the New Canaan Nature Center. Citing a state goal whereby 21 percent of acreage in Connecticut is protected as open space—the figure represents a target of combined local and state efforts—Boyce and Panek underscored the social, health-related and economic benefits of open space protection.