On Saturday, July 5th, 2025, from 8:00 am to 11:30 am, volunteers from AYLUS Oakland Gardens Branch participated in the event at Kissena Park with Roxana on our 169th event, focusing on removing invasive species and cleaning the walking paths near the lake.
We began the event by gathering near the lakeside where invasive plant species like mugwort and rosa multiflora had overtaken large areas and grew outside of the fence. Our high school volunteers and middle schoolers used loppers and their hands to cut down and pull out these overgrown plants, they put the mugwort into the black bags and other invasives into the truck, while younger members used shovels and brooms to clear the pathway for park visitors. Some of the members were also assigned to remove the dirt and plants from the path and toss them back into the other side of the fence.
During our activity, safety remained priority throughout the event, members were informed to avoid the yellow-taped areas, which were marked due to the presence of poison ivy, which can cause itchiness and allergic reactions. Despite the physical difficulty of pulling out mugwort and cutting the plants near the fence, we were able to collect and remove 13 full bags of invasive plants by the end of the event.
Throughout this event, we learned the importance of ecological maintenance and how even a few hours of teamwork can greatly improve our local environment. Clearing invasive plants not only supports the health of native species, but also creates a more enjoyable and accessible space for the entire community.
We would like to say thank you to everyone who participated in this event, all the AYLUS members, park staffs, and all the parents who gave their time and energy to our event.
Our Volunteers:
1. Jia Qi Liu (Angela): 3.5 hours
2. Stephanie ShiRan You : 3.5 hours
3. Aiden Lin : 3.5 hours
4. Brandon Lin : 3.5 hours
5. Kaden He : 3.5 hours
6. Ioknor Lin : 3.5 hours
7. Zhiheng Zhou : 3.5 hours
8. Iokseng Lin : 3.5 hours
9. Ioklee Lin : 3.5 hours
10. Cynthia Shi : 3.5 hours
11. Victor Tu : 3.5 hours
12. Ricky Song : 3.5 hours
13. Yilin Peng : 3.5 hours
14. Linke Peng : 3.5 hours
15. Dylan Chen : 3.5 hours
16. Nathan Jin : 3.5 hours
17. Zihan Shi : 3.5 hours
18. Kaisa Wu : 3.5 hours
19. Luke Chen : 3.5 hours
20. Tiffany Kong : 3.5 hours
21. Yifei Mei : 3.5 hours
22. Hong Hao Liu : 3.5 hours
23. Sophia ShiHan You : 3.5 hours
24. Eric Zheng : 3.5 hours
25. Eason Lin : 3.5 hours
26. Aidan Zhang : 3.5 hours
27. Evan Li : 3.5 hours
28. Anson Gao : 3.5 hours
29. Gina Gao : 3.5 hours
30. Matthew Lin : 3.5 hours
31. Elina Lee : 3.5 hours
32. Ian Lee : 3.5 hours
33. JieRui Liu : 3.5 hours
34. Mohan Luo : 3.5 hours
35. Terrence Cao : 3.5 hours
36. Albert Tang : 3.5 hours
37. Sophia Xu : 3.5 hours
38. Anthony Xu : 3.5 hours
39. Ivan Cao : 3.5 hours
40. Jasmine Qu : 3.5 hours
41. Joanna Qu : 3.5 hours
42. Maggie Liu : 3.5 hours
43. Henry Jiang : 3 hours
44. Adrian Jiang : 3 hours
45. Ryan Wu : 3 hours
46. Austin Li : 3 hours
Parent Adviser Team:
Fannie Li: 8 hours
Karen Liao: 8 hours
Faye Liu: 8 hours
Report Written by: Kaisa Wu
Reviewed by: Jia Qi (Angela) Liu
