On October 6, 2024, AYLUS Oakland Gardens held its 125th event, once again at Kissena Park. Under the guidance of Park Rangers Ada and Roxana, we cut vines, gathered trash, and cut branches to preserve the Historic Grove. This event lasted from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and around 50 members showed up to this event.
Before our event started, our parent advisors split us into different groups. The most developed high school members were to the heavy duty work. Each member received a tool to aid in their weed removal, with eight members cutting weeds and branches surrounding large trees using loppers and four members pulling out the tangled weeds with narrow rakes. Roxana informed that most of the weeds and branches were to be left on the ground, while some troublesome prunings had to be transported to a truck located at the back of the tree groves. Additionally, a few members were selected to carry small saws to split up branches or trunks that were too large to fit on the truck.
The rest of our members were to assist the lopper and rake users by spreading out the excess weeds and branches across the ground. This was a specific instruction by Ada, who warned us to not clump the prunings into piles. After the branches and weeds were clear from the trees, the park rangers drove a mower into the groves. When our members stepped away from the site, the mower would then loop around the area and crush up all the green waste into debris that would cover the grounds. This would prevent future weeds and unwanted branches from regrowing around the trees, contributing to the preservation of the area. During this process, Ada also warned us to not pull the lingering vines from the top of the trees. Although they seem deceased, the act of pulling would bring down the entire tree, causing unnecessary collateral damage to members and workers.
Throughout this event, our members were assisted by a park worker, Peter. Peter came to Kissena Park today as representative of the Associate Park Service Workers. He usually works to mulch up environmental areas and maintain the development of plant ecosystems. During this event, he directed and helped us in pulling the weeds and branches from trees. We are very thankful for his guidance and support, as our members were able to collaborate well with him.
Nearing the end of the event, Ada requested for a few members to help her collect trash around the groves. She supplied our members with garbage bags and trash pickers, and instructed us to go around and pick up any trash, especially lingering paper abundantly found throughout the grove.
We would like to thank Park Rangers Roxanna and Ada and APSW Peter for providing us with the tools and guidance throughout this event! We are grateful for the opportunity to work with you and we look forward to hopefully collaborating again in the future. During this event, we were able to interact with nature while helping out the community. We would also like to thank our parent advisor team for supporting our members. Finally, we would like to thank all the AYLUS Oakland Gardens members who came to today’s event. Your efforts have helped preserve the Historic Grove ensuring that it will be enjoyed by visitors for years to come!
Our volunteers:
Jia Qi Liu (Angela): 3 hours
Vicki Lin: 3 hours
Sophia ShiHan You: 3 hours
Stephanie ShiRan You: 3 hours
Hong Hao Liu (Alfred): 3 hours
Ioklee Lin: 3 hours
Ioknor Lin: 3 hours
Liam Cheung: 3 hours
Evan Li: 3 hours
Yifei Mei: 3 hours
Bowen Chen: 3 hours
Selena Zheng: 3 hours
Yiming Chen: 3 hours
Shi Hao Li: 3 hours
Shi Zhen Li: 3 hours
Junlong Mei: 3 hours
Emerson Chen: 3 hours
Ivan Cao: 3 hours
Evelyn Yuan: 3 hours
Lucas Yuan: 3 hours
Sophia Xu: 3 hours
Anthony Xu: 3 hours
Anthony Lin: 3 hours
Alex Lu: 3 hours
Rex He: 3 hours
Steven Zhu: 3 hours
Yuan Gu: 3 hours
Maggie Liu: 3 hours
Ashley Liu: 3 hours
Karis Lau: 3 hours
Justin Cheong: 3 hours
Isabella Wang: 3 hours
Jerry Zhu: 3 hours
Amber Tsai: 3 hours
Opal Tsai: 3 hours
Huaxin Zhu: 3 hours
Adley Zhu: 3 hours
Mandy Lin: 3 hours
Sophia Lin: 3 hours
Aidan Zheng: 3 hours
Shirley Chiu: 3 hours
Brandon Lin: 3 hours
Jasmine Qu: 3 hours
Joanna Qu: 3 hours
Hanna Chen: 3 hours
Leon Chen: 3 hours
Elina Lee: 3 hours
Darren Li: 3 hours
Austin Li: 3 hours
Johny Yang: 3 hours
Parent Adviser Team:
Cui Fang Li (Fannie): 4 hours
Teng Fei Liu (Faye): 4 hours
Hsinhui Liao (Karen): 4 hours
Report written by: Brandon Lin
Reviewed by: Jia Qi (Angela) Liu
