On June 3rd, 10 CATS volunteers, 3 City Landscape Staff, and around 30 community volunteers from The Point Church, including children worked removing invasives, clearing the trail and spread mulch near our prospective grove in McIntire Park.
We started with a talk on safety and particular jobs to do. They brought loppers and hedge clippers. We brought CATS tools as well as Ivy Creek and member tools. City provided mulch, tools, a tent, and wheelbarrows. We had hoped for 80 volunteers, but with tree stewards and city staff throwing themselves into the work, we got a lot done. The Point folks hung in there 9:30-11:30 and on into noon.
The vines were very thick. Our priority was removing vines growing on trees, and cutting roots off the cleared trail for mulch. We also worked on clearing the young Tulip grove. Chris Gensic asked that the bush hogged trail be recut in 3 places. One place went well. 2 have issues the city will have to work out, heading too close to the stream in staff opinion.
CATS members who worked that day feel great about the amount we accomplished. It will be interesting to see how it looks once the chemical applied that day does its work ( after volunteers left). The kids were fun to work with. They removed many golf balls as well as using tools, clipping roots from the trail . The mulch makes the north end of the trail look like a bonafide nature trail! This project will take many years for city and many volunteer groups to fight back invasive growth.
Tv29 news came out and documented the event:
http://www.nbc29.com/clip/13384349/volunteers-help-clear-up-trails-at-mcintire-park