NASHVILLE – Tennessee State Parks invite Tennesseans to participate March 5 in the state’s annual Weed Wrangle, part of a national effort to remove invasive plants from public spaces.
At Paris Landing State Park in Buchanan, you can volunteer to help Park Ranger Gina Lowry remove several invasive plant and tree species from the Camp Hazlewood wildflower trail on Saturday March 5th at 8 AM.
Lowry said, “We will be removing species such as: Private, Sumac, Autumn Olive, Johnson grass, and Lespedeza from the tree line around the field. We will be using several methods to remove the invasive species since each one responds better to different methods of removal. We will be manually pulling, cutting, sawing, and bagging some of the species.”
The terrain can be un-even and wet in some areas so be sure to wear appropriate clothing, closed-toed shoes, or boots. We recommend that volunteers bring a water bottle, work gloves, and snacks/lunch. The park will supply all tools needed for the event.
The state has 32 state parks participating. State and community experts in invasive weed management will supervise the removal of trees, vines and flowering plants while volunteers learn ways to address their own green spaces to combat invasive species.
Examples of the efforts in the Weed Wrangle this year include Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park where volunteers will remove invasive English ivy along the park’s historic riverfront trail. At Paris Landing State Park, the group will remove several invasive plant and tree species from the Camp Hazlewood wildflower trail. At Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, volunteers will remove invasive species from planters and the butterfly garden.
Volunteers are encouraged to wear appropriate work clothing, including proper footwear, and bring gloves if they have them, along with sunscreen, water and snacks.
Details for each of the participating parks can be found at this link.
The Weed Wrangle may be used by Tennessee Promise students for community service credit.