When we got there, the head of the project told us that the trees did not come in. I was totally bummed because I really wanted to plant trees and I thought we wouldn't have anything to do, but he came through said that we would be removing invasive species instead.
Invasive species displace native species and disrupt ecosystems and can spread rapidly and aggressively because they lack the predators and competitors they faced in their homelands. Even though it seems odd that removing nature is a good thing, in the end it is better for the native plants and animals in our local environment.
So we all got our gloves and tools and went to work. Everyone was helping each other out when needed. If I was pulling a plant out of the ground, someone was ready with a lopper to cut the roots. One person would rake sticks/debris/vines into a small pile and another would take it to the main pile for collection. Groups of people would pull huge vines from the tallest trees.
At one point, our entire group worked together and picked up a huge tree that was rotted and fell down and moved it to the main pile, which was a pretty rewarding and heavy task. Whenever I looked at anyone they had a smile on their face or they were laughing and joking with each other. You could tell that everyone was really excited to be there.
Unfortunately around 1:00pm it was time to leave. Even though I was tired, dirty, and sore (sticker bushes hurt, a lot), I had an amazing day volunteering with my friends and group members and I encourage everyone to volunteer whenever they get the chance.
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| From Royal Gardens 2 |
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| From Royal Gardens 2 |
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