Volunteer: Cut Buckthorn! (ages 14-adult)

For safety reasons, ages 14-adult are welcome.

What to Expect

Wander through the woods with new friends in search of buckthorn. What's buckthorn? This invasive shrub threatens our native forests, and you and other volunteers can help! The park naturalist will guide you during the work.

We follow a simple and lower-effort method of buckthorn removal. Cut the plant near the ground with a handsaw, use a sponge applicator to put a tiny amount of herbicide on the cut stump, and walk on. We leave the plant where it falls, and are focusing on areas with lower buckthorn infestation, so the work is pleasant and the impact is high.

The work is not that strenuous, but volunteers should be able to carry 20 pounds, walk up to one mile over uneven terrain, bend over, and squat/kneel down without restriction.

What to Wear/Bring

Please wear long pants, long sleeves, and work boots. Bring a water bottle, work gloves, safety glasses (sunglasses are fine), and tick gaiters if you have them; we will provide safety equipment you don't have. Please do not bring power tools. We will provide handsaws and loppers.

Ticks and poison ivy are safety concerns that we will cover in our pre-work talk. We will provide tick gaiters to keep ticks from crawling up. We typically don't encounter poison ivy, but if you are very sensitive, this might not be the project for you.

Location Info

No registration necessary, but reach out to the contact listed on this webpage if you have any questions.

Meet at the visitor center at the start time. Leave an extra 10 minutes to drive from the park entrance to the visitor center parking lot and walk to the building.