From 9:30-12:00, the volunteers from the Great Neck Branch dedicated their time at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center to tackle the removal of mugwort and phragmites. Our primary task for today was to transform several acres of parking lot pavement into a thriving seaside ecosystem. Our main focus was on addressing the issue of mugwort, and the landscape architect recommended cutting the plant instead of pulling it. This approach aligns with the potential implementation of another “Power of Three” experiment, involving cutting the mugwort three times within a season for three consecutive years. Research suggests that pulling out mugwort by the roots may inadvertently encourage its spread, making cutting a more favorable method. Therefore, we concentrated on cutting the mugwort as per the landscape architect’s request.
Regarding the phragmites, these plants have extensive, long rhizomes. For the phragmites, we employed a different strategy by removing all parts of the plant. Ideally, we aimed to extract the roots and rhizomes entirely, which would be excellent for the restoration efforts. However, even if the roots and rhizomes couldn’t be fully removed, cutting off the top portions would weaken the plant, ultimately aiding in its control.
The underlying idea behind these efforts is to continually weaken the targeted invasive plants, creating a favorable environment for native species to flourish once again. This volunteer event holds significant meaning, as we actively contribute to environmental protection and restoration. Despite the presence of numerous bugs due to the summer season, we remained dedicated and worked diligently to accomplish our objectives.
members who participated(2.5hours): Fanxi Xia, Zoe Xia, Junbo Hu, Feier Xu, Amy Sun, Siyue Wang, Siwen Wang, Katie Yang, Kalli Zhu
