Boot brush stations like the one pictured above are installed by the Invasive Species Network of Northwest Michigan. Photo by Pat Stinson.
By Pat Stinson
Way back when, I bought a boot brush. Not the hand-held kind. This foot-long brush with a wooden frame and stiff black bristles rested on the ground. It kept the soles of my boots clean after a hike through our mucky marsh. I recently rediscovered our boot brush, hidden beneath the thick forest of “stuff” growing inside our storage shed. I didn’t remember that bristles on the sides of the frame also brush the sides of our footwear, as well as the soles.
Boot brushes mysteriously appeared during the last year or two in Manistee County at the trailheads of some of my favorite hiking spots. Look for them at Michigan Audubon property and Orchard Beach State Park along Lakeshore Road in Manistee Township, and at Spirit of the Woods Conservation Club beside Coates Highway near Brethren. The Invasive Species Network reportedly placed them at dozens of trailheads in Manistee, Benzie, Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties, and other places throughout northwestern Michigan.
Brushes help stem the spread
These boot brush stations, as the organization calls them, help prevent invasive plant species from traveling on your shoes or boots from one trail to another.
“Boot brushes play a key role in stopping the spread of many invasive plants,” ISN Outreach Specialist Emily Cook said. “Hikers, bikers, and other people recreating often unknowingly pick up seeds in the treads of their boots or on equipment. The simple act of transporting a seed to a different area can create an entirely new population of an unwanted species. Taking a few moments to kick the debris off your shoes can prevent that spread.”
Also, in this writer’s experience, it’s quick and satisfying to watch the trail dust rise from your hiking boots as you wipe your soles clean.
Complete a survey
This summer, QR codes at the boot brush stations lead smartphone users to a short online survey. Survey answers will help the organization as it decides how to manage invasive species in the various natural areas.
“Many of the boot brushes have been in place for years, but we never had a good way of determining how often they were getting used,” Cook said. “We could see if the brush bristles were wearing down, but that was just one piece of information. By applying QR codes on each station, the Invasive Species Network and its partners can now tell how often the boot brushes are getting used, at what locations, and if the signage has encouraged behavior change.”
Each survey completed by Aug. 27 will be entered into a drawing to win ISN swag, such as boot brushes, field guides and apparel.
“The giveaways are a fun way to incentivise people to take the short survey associated with the codes,” Cook added.
Surveys received after that date will continue to inform ISN.
In addition to places already mentioned, the codes can be found at properties managed by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, Leelanau Conservancy, Grand Traverse Conservation District, GOREC, Traverse City Parks and Recreation, the Au Sable Institute, and more.
To find out more about ridding yourself, your gear and/or pets of invasive species while outdoors, go to www.playcleango.org.
