The South Arboretum Woods and the Florida Orchard Prairie are two locations on U of I’s campus in dire need of restoration work. Ecological restoration will reduce the dominance of invasive species in these ecosystems, so that populations of native species will stabilize, and overall biodiversity will increase. Red Bison
has been working in these areas for over five years, applying principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to tackle common invasive species such as honeysuckle, buckthorn, garlic mustard, and others. The organization has also worked on planting native species in these areas as well. Loppers are an absolute necessity for the removal of invasive plants, as they can quickly cut down plants or shrubs with small to medium sized stems. Red Bison employs the traditional cut-stump method, cutting a plant as close to the ground as possible first, following up with application of herbicide such as Gly Star or Triclopyr. This method has proven to be extremely effective for the control of several invasive species.