Progress! Tree Preservation Project
Franklin Park right-of-way cleanup crew
Last Saturday, Urban Forest Alliance volunteers gathered for coffee and donuts (thank you, Leslie!) and joined in on our first vine-removal and trash pickup project in the VDOT right-of-way along Old Dominion Drive, one of the most popular entrances to our Franklin Park & Forest community.
This area had long been neglected and the trees were covered in English ivy, Porcelain berry, Japanese honeysuckle, and Wintercreeper vines. In addition to being unsightly, these vines put the tree canopy here at risk.
Before: trees were being strangled by invasive, tree-killing vines
Volunteers brought their own tools and cut “windows” in the vines along the tree trunks, effectively cutting off the supply of nutrients to the vines up in the trees. Vine material above the windows is deliberately left on the trees to avoid damaging the bark and prevent accidental fall or injury. Eventually, this material will die back and decompose, returning nutrients to the soil.
Tree trunk showing the “window” of removed vines at the base
While there is more weeding and ground vine removal to be done — and the area will need to be monitored for re-growth — residents can rest assured that the trees in this right-of-way have been protected from near-term vine damage. And all the trash was successfully removed from the area and properly disposed of!
UFA’s long-term goal for this land is to develop a VDOT-approved native plants landscape to beautify the entry to our neighborhood and better serve our pollinators. More details to come!
Want to help? We’d love to have you!