Volunteer Work Day Projects in 2016

Michelle, Paula, Ellen, Linda and Pinkie at a 2017 Garden Work Day

Our first project, begun three years ago, was the creation of the Wildlife and Respite Garden in the fenced area adjacent to the parking lot.  In 2016, we continued maintenance and planting of this area.  Our watering team kept the garden going during the severe drought, and additional volunteers kept after the weeds, cut back overgrown sedge, and did some more planting.

For the first time in 2016, we expanded our ecological efforts to the main park and held three work days centered on invasive plant removal –specifically,  Japanese Knotweed.  Knotweed crowds out many beneficial plants and is extraordinarily difficult to control.  We succeeded in cutting and removing 700 pounds of knotweed from the park!

Altogether 22 volunteers contributed 92 hours at our work days.  Thanks go to Judy Argon; Julian, Susan, and Paul Brenman; Ellen and Stephen Briggs; Paula Burns; Chris Bushnell; Daniel Cohen; Michelle Detwiler; Mary Field; Pinkie Hamilton; Bobby Harmelin; Karen Hinckley; Hazel Murphy;  Linda Pitt; Ellen Reese; Elaine Stern; and Mark Wassmansdorf.

Knotweed Penitentiary

In addition, freelancer members Rich Cutshall and Craig Oliner spent uncounted hours clearing trails and removing debris.  Rich even made us our Knotweed Penitentiary, where cut knotweed may be stored without danger of re-rooting itself into the park lands.