Clearing the Way!

We’ve had great crews the last two Saturdays! Both restoration days were spent attacking the Vinca Minor which skirts the edge of the fairway at Roy’s Pools. This invasive periwinkle has overtaken much of the understory along the creek in the upstream side of the pools. It offers very little in the way of shade, food, or habitat for local species and thus must be replaced with a more beneficial type of ground cover. While less dangerous than the Himalayan Blackberry (in terms of thorns) the Vinca often means a dense network of underground roots that re-sprout quickly unless thoroughly removed. After a lot of digging (and some sweating) we continued to push back the front lines. We also unearthed a plethora of golf balls and other miscellaneous waste. Some of us continued to dig up root structures in the areas we’ve cleared of blackberry. Some of them are sending up new sprouts – pointing out the diligence required in clearing invasives without using herbicides. One of the highlights of this past Saturday was the installation of a new SPAWN information box along the cart path! This will allow golfers to learn a bit about SPAWN and our efforts as they approach the bridge. We’ll be back next Saturday to continue clearing the way for more native plantings! These little guys can use all the help they can get, so bring your friends and family and enjoy the Spring sunshine!