Working on a slope clearing honeysuckle or other nonnative invasive shrubs can be a challenge. Tricky footing and a roaring chainsaw make for a bad combination. In this video we describe how we use basic climbing gear to allow us to rappel down steep slopes, removing invasive shrubs along the way. We discuss how to use a figureeight descender to control our descent, and how to use a Prusik to free up both hands for working. We also discuss the importance of leaving the rootball in place on a slope to protect against erosion while the native plant community recovers. The proper and safe use of herbicides (glyphosate) to prevent resprouts is explained.

Oak Haven is a 60acre private woodland in Southwestern Ohio near Cincinnati. Jim and Julie Varick both have degrees in Botany and over thirty years of experience in managing natural areas. They enjoy sharing their enthusiasm for the natural world and would like to build relationships with likeminded people to share knowledge and resources.

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DEWALT FLEXVOLT 60V MAX Chainsaw Kit https://amzn.to/2KQ0E47
DEWALT 20V MAX XR Chainsaw, 12Inch https://amzn.to/37Dy1jz
CLIMBING HARNESS https://amzn.to/3mQrNEj
FIGURE EIGHT DESCENDER https://amzn.to/3zgouv0
PRUSIK https://amzn.to/3EHdkAF