Monday, March 28, 2011

Winter is almost over!

After a winter overdose of snow, cold, and ice, spring is coming fast.  The Volunteers have been hard at work both out of doors and inside during the past three months. 

Outside, members have continued to work with the NYC Parks & Recreation Gardener assigned to Isham Park.  Several long neglected planting areas have been cleared of weeds and pruned.  Garbage has been collected, damages were monitored and reported to Parks, so that repairs could be made in a timely fashion during the ice and snow.

The fight to remove Porcelainberry vine http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/ambr1.htm continues.  This invasive has sprung up all over Isham Park, along with Garlic Mustard http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/alpe.htm, and the saplings of Mulberry http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/brpa1.htm and Norway Maple http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/acpl.htm trees.

This coming Sunday, April 3rd, the first work day for Volunteers for Isham Park will be held at the north western corner of Isham Park along Park Terrace West near 215th Street.  This will be to clear Isham Park's northern barrier chain link fence of all of the species described above.

Please come out to assist between 10:00am and 2:00pm.   The Partnerships for Parks and NYC Parks will provide tools and supplies.  The Parks Gardener will also be with us for the first 2 hours to instruct and assist.

It is very important to control these plants before growing season is truly under way.