On Saturday, February 3rd 2024, AYLUS Roslyn Branch went to Planting Fields Arboretum
State Historic Park to assist in clearing plants at the front entrance. From 9:30 to 12:00 we
assisted in removing invasive plants from the area.
It was a chilly morning but there was a great number of people in attendance. In lieu of Mike,
our usual deputy, we had Doug who led the group with stretches to warm us up and prepare us
for the arduous task of removing the invasive and undesirable plants. Some of these plant
species included devil’s walking stick, burning bush, Norwegian maple, and English ivy. This
monumental task filled us with a sense of purpose and strength to carry on through the cold. We
were properly equipped with gloves and tools like clippers, saws, and rakes which allowed us to
efficiently remove these overgrown plants. On a grand scale, we removed creeping vines that
were choking out valuable trees like tulip-tree and black cherry, we divided the taller trees and
plants from their earthly tethers and gathered all the forest litter, unneeded plant life, and felled
trees into one pile for later disposal. Me and I were armed with saws and together we
dismembered enough trees to make Paul Bunyan proud. Powered by determination we
managed to drag these incredible flora of ginormous scale into the pile of invasive plants.
Everyone worked together spectacularly and we were motivated by Doug, instructed by Mike
(Different Mike), and given oranges by George. We managed to clear a considerable amount of
land by the entrance and the park’s trucks came multiple times to haul the piles of our hard
work. Afterwards we cleaned up by picking up any remaining tools that were left on the ground
and the people that stayed behind got a tour of the park’s greenhouses.
Overall it was a fantastic experience that inspired within me an awe of the amount of impact a
group of people can make to help the community. And every single one of us left with an
appreciation of the natural environment and the beautiful flora with it.
Members who participated includes (2.5 hours): Hunter Chen & Zihan Wang
