Join our friends at High Park in Toronto in their efforts to reduce the impacts of invasive species on black oak savannah and other valuable ecosystems! The following and additional information is courtesy their website.

Summer sessions: Invasive Species Removal (aka Weed Whacking)

June 24, July 8 and 22, Aug. 12 and 26

10:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Meet in front of the Grenadier Restaurant

The Targets: Garlic mustard, hedge parsley, ragweed, tall sweet white clover, and more!

For your protection, please dress as per the photo below, long sleeves and pants, closed shoes and socks, a hat and bring water and sunscreen. We will supply tools and gloves. Pingg invitation to current session

Although our native savannah plants require less water than others when established, we may be watering our planting sites if required. Urban Forestry has a “Rainbird” tank of water that we use to fill watering cans. We really hope it won’t be necessary and that all of the plants in the park will be replenished naturally.

Maintenance aka weeding is as important as planting and equally rewarding. Once the weeds are removed the native plants have room to grow, display their beauty and do their work providing food and shelter for wildlife.

We will be working in our restoration sites weeding and monitoring the growth of native plants in the site. The Boulevard Beds group will also be working to update our demonstration garden.

We have a number of restoration areas where work has been going on for a number of years, including the Sculpure Garden site, the All-Star site, Site 10A near Bloor Street and The Tablelands (behind the Grenadier Restaurant).

The main suspects in High Park are Garlic Mustard, Hedge Parsley, Himalayan Balsam, Oriental Bittersweet, Ragweed, Sweet White Clover, Queen Anne’s Lace, Motherwort, Burdock etc. Dog Strangling Vine is being handled by Urban Forestry.

It is really amazing how our group can make such a difference in one morning.