MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The 2016 Garlic Mustard Challenge is underway in Meridian Township.

The Stewardship Network officially kicked off this event on April 13 and this year hopes to pull 200,000 pounds of garlic mustard and to have 50 garlic mustard free sites reported.

Garlic Mustard is an invasive specie, which can inhibit the growth of native wildflowers and trees due to the chemicals it produces. Garlic Mustard's height typically starts out at two inches tall in its first year and can grow up to 12 to 48 inches in its second year.

The Garlic Mustard Challenge is a way for people to enjoy friendly competition as well as give their time to an important cause.

"Garlic Mustard Challenge, that's a big one for them, and every year they have a challenge where these different clusters are in divisions," Kelsey Dillon, Land Stewardship Assistant of Meridian Township Parks and Recreation said. "We're in the mid-weight division and we compete with other clusters throughout Michigan to bag the most garlic mustard."

Anyone can participate in the Garlic Mustard Challenge by simply looking for the plant and putting in a bag labeled "Invasive Species" and placing it in your garbage.

Dillon stressed it's important to label it properly as the garlic mustard goes to a landfill.

"Don't put it in garden waste, that's a way that seeds can spread," she said.

To report how much garlic mustard you pulled, you can call Dillon at 517-853-4600 or e-mail her at dillon@meridian.mi.us.