On the morning of December 14th, a group of dedicated AYLUS Dix Hills volunteers gathered at Bethpage State Park to assist the park staff clearing debris off of old landscape fabric with the final goal of removing it, as well as clearing invasives along the perimeter and under the trees within the garden. Despite the cold temperatures, the sun was shining, creating a beautiful backdrop for the morning’s work. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., we focused on clearing the Valley Garden, where we removed old fabric tarps and several wooden posts that had been buried under the overgrown vegetation. These items had been hiding invasive plants in the soil and hindering the natural growth of vegetation in the area.
In addition to clearing the tarp and posts, we also made significant progress in removing the invasive plant species that had taken over parts of the garden. We removed large amounts of old mugwort, a weed known for its rapid spread, as well as bindweed, an invasive vine that strangles native plants, using a variety of tools.
Volunteers:
Jonathan Fan (2.5 hours), Jake Wu (2 hours), Katlyn Cai (1.5 hours)