Mowing the Grass at Low Tide: Fighting the Saltmarsh Grasses that Invaded Washington's Coast in Bloomington, MN

This book is about invasions of Washington's coastal waters by Spartina saltmarsh grasses that played out over 35 years, from Willapa Bay in the State's southwest corner to the waterways of the Salish Sea. The author describes the marine shores where control operations were carried out. The ecology of marine life (ghost shrimps, oysters, shorebirds, waterfowl and more) in those waters. The histories of the indigenous peoples and western settlers, partly for their own sake, partly for insights into events of the past that shaped the modern Spartina story. Then the tale of the great Spartina invasions takes off! A grand tale of adventure! Science! Discovery! Mud! Fun! "Mowing ..." recounts the author's explorations and experiments with alternative ways of wiping out Spartina. Readers who treasure Washington's natural landscapes and enjoy reading about and/or visiting them will welcome this tale. (Maps in the book show all locations of sites of interest -infestation sites and ones where relicts of a giant earthquake in 1700 can be seen.) Other readers - teachers and local historians - will find suggestions for research topics for high school or college students. (References with 66 entries show the sources from which the author sought information used in this book.) And for out-of-region readers everywhere who might want to know how such a monumental invasive weed challenge was so successfully defeated, an appendix lists the many factors that made the campaign a success. This is a story of rare, gigantic cooperation between people of diverse outlooks and various government agencies and institutions to confront and defeat a major environmental challenge - to engage in Earth stewardship on a grand scale and win. It gives all of us something to celebrate, something to remind us that, once in a while, it is possible for our whole society to pull together and accomplish great things.