On a sunny Friday morning, August 4th, 2023, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, the AYLUS volunteers of Syosset gathered at the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center to help in the removal of weeds and scattering of woodchips around the garden grounds. Weeds such as the Buttercup Sorrel and the Smartweed were picked out in areas of visible overpopulation. Although some species in the gardens may be native, they may overpopulate and outcompete the surrounding plants in their vicinity. The smartweed is an assertive native plant tending to dominate its ecosystem due to its plentiful seed production. Meanwhile, the Bermuda Buttercup is an invasive species that was noticeably visible in the Sanctuary and was removed to improve the biodiversity conditions of the environment.
Furthermore, there were many areas with damp soil, hence woodchips were used to cover them up. The role of woodchips are not only used in regulating the moisture of the earth (especially useful when it rains) but are also used in making the soil more acidic by lowing its pH levels. The woodchips function like a protective layer that can prevent too much evaporation from occurring. As a result, the ground can be watered less frequently since water is being conserved.
Volunteers: (categorized by hour lengths)
3 hours (3h): Thea Chen, Suiying Li, Suiwai Li, Yiru Zhang, Ziru Zhang, Tracy Xu, Catherine Liu, Caren Ye
2.5 hours (2.5h): Isabella Huang, Nicole Huang, Sonia Huang
2 hours (2h): Ocean Ji, Rowen Zhu, Tyler Zhu
