Weed Warriors Turn Vines into Art

A Maryland couple turns pesky, non-native plants into whimsical sculptures. (WP)

Like many invasive plants, Oriental bittersweet can be deadly to native plant species. The viney plant coils around trees, effectively choking them to death thus earning its place on a list of the most destructive non-native invasive plant species in the United States.

But Seth Goldstein and Paula Stone see beauty in the odious vine and spend weekends searching for it to make their art sculptures. The Bethesda couple got certified by the county to remove the vines and other invasive species and now their quest for materials serves the double purpose of saving trees.

Goldstein and Stone trudge through the woods and talk about their work in this short video by the Washington Post. Many of their sculptures take the forms of animals from insects and camels to “vinosaurs,” and the upcoming “bovine.”

Their work has been exhibited around the Bethesda metro area and they hope the exposure will help draw attention to the dangers of this vine and other invasive species.

CHANNEL: Washington Post

Length: 2:17

Video by Alexandra Garcia

VIEW: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/06/11/VI2010061102442.html

SEE ALSO:

“Art with a bittersweet twist: Couple turn a pesky vine into sculptures”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/06/11/ST2010061102526.html

Photo Gallery:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2010/06/11/GA2010061102438.html