On December 6th, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM, the AYLUS Dix Hills Branch volunteered in the back of the Northside Elementary School in Bethpage State Park. Using several tools such as fan rakes, iron rakes, and loppers, the AYLUS volunteers assisted in various activities like cleaning up long pathways of English ivy, removing their roots with rakes and loppers to prevent their return, and taking out different vines and bramble choking trees. Volunteers first piled any debris collected before filling large canvas bags to move it to a cart for disposal, after which they raked the path again to pick up any loose left over pieces and slightly smooth the dirt. Volunteers also dug out many small stumps that could pose as tripping hazards from the path so that any visitors wouldn’t have to be overly concerned about watching their step.
Because of the AYLUS Dix Hills branch volunteers, native flora in Bethpage State park has the chance to return and overwhelm the invasive undesirable plant species, while the Northside Elementary School also gained a new pathway to explore wilderness for their students.
Volunteers: Aki Cheng, Jonathan Fan
Volunteering Hours: 2 hours each
