On Saturday, April 18, the AYLUS Dix Hill Branch volunteered at Bethpage State Park to remove invasive weeds, dead plants, and prune trees. Volunteers first started by removing fallen and dead wood obstructing the path, then continued on to also lightly prune some of the branches that were starting to encroach on the path. The main target of the pruning was dead branches that held no purpose, and their removal would provide more space for other branches to grow. Volunteers next started removing invasive species such as bittersweet, honeysuckle, and multiflora rose vines. The vines were pulled or dug out of the ground to try and get as many of their roots as possible so there would be less of a chance of the vines returning. During the removal of the invasive plants, volunteers discovered that a cedar tree had grown many branches too low, allowing for vines to climb onto it and slowly choke it. Volunteers pruned away many dead and low branches on the cedar tree, then raked away the large amounts of plant material that had gathered from the wind blowing it into the vines, collecting into massive piles over time.
With the assistance of the volunteers, the plants of Bethpage State Park have been saved from a future of being choked under invasive vines.
Volunteers: Jonathan Fan, Jake Wu
Hours: 2.5 hours, 2.5 hours
