AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR walking the trails along the Mill River can be fairly gray and bleak. Though I'm quick to admit bleakness can be exceptionally beautiful…as long as you're not hunched over in howling wind with temps in the sub-zero range! One thing that certainly does stand out along the river are the outbreaks of Bittersweet vines, with their vivid red berries and yellow-orange husks. Lovely they are in that gray-brown world, but unfortunately a bit of a scourge. Take a drive up I-91 toward Greenfield and you can see the damage that Bittersweet does to native tree species. It's literally a slow strangulation as the vines climb on the native tree branches slowly stealing all their light from above and water from the roots below. As much as we like the spots of winter color, should we cut the vines and remove them?

Photo taken: January 28, 2020, Mill River trail between Village Hill and dog park.

Tags: Bittersweet