It's the top of the fourth quarter, and the starters are all still in. We've shed blood, sweat, and tears of joy all year. Where others would have reached a point of fatigue from battling their hearts out for three full seasons this year, the Ivy League only presses on, harder and more determined.
We've absolutely slayed October. I continue to be so amazed by the effort of our mighty volunteer crew, who has worked so hard in 2023 and returns to every workday even stronger. This month has been such a good one for the Ivy League and PKP. I'll definitely limit my wordiness despite my desire to wax on and on in deference to the beautiful photos from this month (which are worth at least 1001 words).
English Ivy Study: 9/28/23
Between our September 16th workday and our October 14th workday I simply could not resist a solo strike at the Park's plant invaders, so I slipped over and took on a particularly egregious English Ivy infestation that had been irking me as I gazed at it from my back porch. One nice, large Water Oak was being so overburdened by mature (and flowering) English Ivy that I could stand it no more. So I went to free this tree and a few others on the western border of the park.
I could practically hear this Water Oak begging for mercy, so I responded to the call. English Ivy has no place in this park. Get a load of the SIZE of the vines strangling this tree! You couldn't even see the tree's bark anymore. This noxious weed is a double threat: it strangles trees and blocks out all groundcover. Insidious...
Okay back to our regularly scheduled programming. It's a somewhat muggy October 14th and the League heeds the battle call. Today the Ivy League lives up to the full significance of its moniker, as 3/5 volunteers of the day have PhD's!!! That's a ton of mental firepower taking on some bad plants.
Our focus for the day was the platform overlook near the restrooms by disc golf hole #8. This decrepit and neglected construction has been chosen for rehab, thanks to a grant from the Georgia Rehabilitation Institute. So, in anticipation of resurfacing and reconstruction of a handicapped-accessible platform for bird and wildlife viewing, we stepped in to fight back the consuming brush.
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| Scholars of the Ivy League |
This morning of induced invasive plant death will pave the way for new life for this area. Not long after the completion of our task, this gorgeous Red-shouldered Hawk christened the platform, as if signaling the approval of our efforts by the wildlife of PKP.
Of course we chopped down the Chinese and Glossy Privets in the vicinity, and rid the native trees of English Ivy encroachment, but this area needs more rehab. Some continued woody exotic removal and some English Ivy spraying will do it good. Not to mention the hoards of trash that we picked up from inconsiderate USERS of the park.
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Now on to October 21st, a day in which the Ivy League took on a new front: the southern front. Due mostly to an incredibly busy disc golf tournament in the park, we opted to stay away from our usual haunts and expand our impact. I've been wanting to take on the area between the flooded swamp and Lake Elizabeth for months now, and this seemed to be the perfect occasion.
Although this was an excellent step, this project was abandoned, and exotic trees remain along the perimeter of the work area, and new invaders have taken root. This spot is a wetland with excellent potential, mainly thanks to the hydrology work and native tree plantings of the Phinizy Center. It was really neat to discover their native plants thriving as we fought back the tide of exotic plants.
A dozen folks chipped in at one point or another: featuring regulars, folks from the Grovetown Garden Club High School, and some members of the local Azalea Garden Club. It was a day of beautiful, crisp fall weather, smiles, and wanton destruction. Can't beat it!
Gosh this project has been so much fun and is incredibly rewarding. I'm so grateful to all the kind and caring folks that have sacrificed their Saturday mornings for such a great cause, and I encourage everyone to get in on this history making and cookie crunching madness!
So there you have it, another kick-ass month in the books. Looking forward to November! Hope to see you all Saturday, November 4th!!
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