The Scenic Rivers Land Trust is gearing up for the 2023 season of their Healthy Forests: Invasive Plant Removal Program at Bacon Ridge Natural Area—and they need help!
Since 2020, Scenic Rivers has worked to protect the long-term vitality of Bacon Ridge—their largest conservation easement—through this program.
Invasive plants threaten the health of the forests and natural lands we all are working so hard to conserve—from invasive shrubs that shade out native understory plants to invasive vines that can choke and pull down towering native canopy trees.
Thanks to community volunteers, Scenic Rivers has removed nearly 3,000 lbs of invasive vines, shrubs, and grasses across 15 acres of the natural area, clearing the way for a sustainable, healthy forest for the entire community to enjoy.
Dedicated volunteers have been the backbone of this program. Over the last two years, 45+ volunteers put in a combined 275+ hours of work to improve the long-term health of Bacon Ridge Natural Area.
But, there is still so much to do.
This spring Scenic Rivers is organizing teams of volunteers to remove invasive vines, shrubs, and grasses from along the trails on three public workdays:
- Sunday, March 19 (10 am to noon)
- Saturday, April 15 (10 am to noon)
- Saturday, May 20 (10 am to noon)
Spending a couple of hours improving the health of your local, protected forest by removing harmful plants is a fantastic way to give back and meet new friends.
If this sounds like fun to you, make plans to come out on one of the dates listed above—and don’t forget to invite a friend. Removing invasive plants is a big job; and they need as much help as possible.
