The Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve is working to restore land along Lake Erie for the hundreds of species of birds that call it home.

A crew from the Nature Conservancy has begun removing invasive species by hand and with controlled chemicals.

Project Manager Zach Kron says getting rid of these plants is important.

Why the project is important.

“Very few bird species are utilizing the invasives that are present, kind of throughout our coastal areas. Specifically, I’m talking about phragmites here, European common reed. Nothing really eats them, so they’re not really providing food for birds. So, in eliminating those invasives, natives are going to fill in those gaps.”

Kron says he wants to treat a thousand acres of lakefront land in the next two years. Sixty acres have already been finished.

The project is funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.