Aylus volunteers are at Bethpage State Park on June 14, 2025 from 9 to 11 a.m. to assist with coordination with the Volunteer Coordinator.
First, the volunteers arrived at the State Park and wore gloves to protect their hands. Then, the volunteer coordinators assigned volunteers plant seedlings that grew in a pot, which roots were all tangled together. The plants included asters and goldenrods, which are native plants that supported the local ecosystem. The volunteers’ job was to separate them when they are small and easy to separate and plant them in small, separated plastic containers with soil. If the seedling is too small to be planted in the container, then two to three seedlings can be planted in a same container. Another smaller group of volunteers would be filling in the containers with soil, and they need to make sure to not press the soil to hard for the transplanting.
The native plants that were transplanted would help the ecosystem in the park and increase stability of the food web. It is also a great way to relax since the temperature in the greenhouse is actually pleasant and the aroma of plants were calming. Volunteers also had the chance to learn about the plants and seedlings themselves and chat about school activities and nature, which contributed to a positive atmosphere in the greenhouse.
Members who participated include: Felicia Liu (2h), Yingxiang Liu (2h), Yuya Liu (2h), Sumeng Liu (2h), Brian Zhang (2h)
Reporter: Felicia Liu
