By Lindridge Martin Manor Neighborhood Association

Join noted coast wildlife expert John "Crawfish" Crawford for a tour of the Meadow Loop Trail on Tuesday, Sept. 11.

The group will gather at the Armand Greenspace, 2366 Armand Rd., at 3:15 p.m. and walk over to the trail.

The Meadow has been invaded by a coastal plant, Groundsel Bush (Baccharis halimifolia), a Georgia coastal native plant; frankly we do not know what to do about it.

Although this plant produces blossoms that are a good late season source of food for pollinators, we are hoping that Mr. Crawford will be able to offer some expert advice on how to manage it.

Given the prevalence of other invasive species such as kudzu, mimosa, privet, and Japanese honeysuckle, should we let the Groundsel Bush also run wild in the Meadow?

Aside from the Groundsel Bush problem, Mr. Crawford can teach us a lot about the converging environments of the coast and the Piedmont.

Bring your kids and your video cameras--we will greatly benefit from Mr. Crawford's extensive knowledge.

For those who can't get enough Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Crawford will be speaking to the Georgia Native Plant Society at the Atlanta Botanical Garden from 6-8 PM later that evening Sept. 11. The talk is open to the public.