On July 25, 2026, AYLUS held another volunteer event at the Nissequogue Greenhouse. During the session, we helped remove large amounts of mile-a-minute vine. Mile-a-minute is an invasive plant that grows very quickly and can cover native plants, preventing them from gettingenough sunlight and space to grow.
Because there were many ticks in the area, we wore large protective suits while working. The suits helped protect us, but they also made it harder to move around and work comfortably. The temperature was not too hot in the morning, but it still felt warm inside the suits after we began working.
The mile-a-minute vines felt like Velcro because they easily stuck to our clothing and tools. We used rakes to pull the vines away from the ground, bushes, and other plants. Some of the vines were tangled together, so we had to work carefully and help one another remove them. Even though the suits and ticks made the work more challenging, everyone stayed focused and worked as a team. We continued clearing the vines and tried to remove as much as possible during the session.
By the end of the event, we had made noticeable progress. The area looked much cleaner and more open than it did when we first arrived. It was satisfying to see the difference our teamwork had made.
Reporter: Alice Wang
Participants:
Annabella Kang: 2.5 hours
Alice Wang: 2.5 hours
Katherine Zeng: 2.5 hours
Isabelle Yang: 2.5 hour
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