On 03/30/23, AYLUS Syosset and Great Neck South worked alongside Stewardship Saturday to participate in invasive plant removal, specifically removing bamboo at Valley Stream State Park. Within the park, a group bamboo had created an invasive monoculture and had taken over a large part of the land. Bamboo grows quickly and spreads quickly as well and is invasive across Long Island. The bamboo was cut using clippers and shears. Members had to practice safety measures, such as wearing helmets, as the bamboo stalks were extremely long, measuring to be over 10 feet tall. Bamboo, similar to the plant phragmites, spreads through its root systems called rhizomes. Natural vegetation and vital animals are subjected to a change in the environment as a result of the decrease in biodiversity caused by the bamboo.
The cut down bamboo was gathered together and hauled onto trucks and will likely be solarized (dried out in the sun most likely on a parking lot) so that it will not take root again. However, since so much bamboo had to be cut, members helped to gather piles of bamboo that could not fit into the truck for later disposal.
Members who participated:(everyone 3h) Alyssa Huang, Haohua Wang, Haodong Wang, Chloe Wu, Alexander Lin, Austin Lin, Nicole Zhang, Margaret Zhang, Benson Lam, Wei you, Meghan Liu, Zoey Liu, Harrison King
