Nine folks gathered at Wildrock Nature Play and Discovery Center on Blackwells Hollow Road in Crozet, VA to remove invasive plants along the trails and main hillside on Sunday, July 18 from 9am - 2pm. Marit Anderson was the PATC leader for the event and Kyle Crawford, land steward for Wildrock and Ladybird Farm/CSA, managed the specific work activities. Volunteers included Joan & David Gilrain, Anna Castle, Dianne Anderson, Tony Alimenti, Cheri Acker, and Jeanne Siler.
The morning began with a tour of the Barn Center education building and then a walk along the Discovery Loop Trail. At this point the group broke up into two teams. Marit, Jeanne, Tony, Cheri, Dianne, and Anna used loppers and pruners to cut down honeysuckle, greenbrier, and bittersweet vines along the Discovery Loop Trail. Kyle, David, and Joan used handsaws to cut down invasive paulownia and mimosa trees on the hillside overlooking the Barn Center. The tree cutters even had a copperhead visitor, but fortunately it slithered off!
At 12:15 all stopped for lunch at the pavilion, with double chocolate chip cookies for a tasty dessert. Some folks left after lunch and others resumed cutting invasives until 2 pm. All seemed to enjoy the exercise, beautiful outdoor setting, and a chance to help out Kyle and make the grounds and trails more inviting for the children, students, and families that enjoy Wildrock.
As stated on the website, "Wildrock is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Nature Play for Health and Happiness. Founded through the dedicated work of hundreds of volunteers on donated land, Wildrock is a special place in nature for family bonding, creative play, and quiet reflection. Wildrock creates joyful experiences that counteract the stresses of daily life and inspire a healing relationship with the natural world. Our primary partners are local schools, nonprofits, and universities. Our primary goal in all our work is to promote play equity for community mental health."
submitted by Marit Anderson
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