Volunteers Clean up at Ruth Swann Park

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Starting in 1999, volunteers have removed almost all of the English ivy, Japanese stiltgrass, Chinese privet, Swedish ivy, Asiatic bittersweet, Japanese knotweed, Japanese honeysuckle, and other plants from Europe and Asia to rescue native violets, ferns, orchids, asters, St. Andrew’s cross, and other native American plants that contribute to global biological diversity. These native plants provide ecosystem services that reduce CO2 emissions and storm water and nitrogen runoff to the Chesapeake Bay. Invasive species, especially vines, generally can survive the new climate better.

Our happy volunteers have something to show you:

Miranda Vargas, Madeline Pinckert, Erin Curran with Japanese honeysuckle pile at Ruth Swann Park on 10 January 2009 (photo by Bruce Kirk)

Little Paint Branch, Garlic Mustard Cleanup, Spring 2007

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 04:00:00 GMT

In 2007, volunteers from MNPS worked to clean up the woods around Little Paint Branch Park. See what some areas looked like before and after the clean-up.

Before cleanup: garlic mustard abounds. Garlic mustard is the tall plant with the white flowers at the top.

After cleanup: we can now view the native plant, poison ivy. Poison ivy is the thick vine crawling up the tree trunk.

Before cleanup: volunteers are knee-high in garlic mustard.

After cleanup: looks good, doesn't it?

Maryland Native Plant Society Before and After

Volunteers Clean up at Ruth Swann Park

Little Paint Branch, Garlic Mustard Cleanup, Spring 2007