In late September, 16 weed warriors ascended onto Deepdene Forest— a 22-acre, old-growth forest in the heart of Olmsted’s Druid Hills neighborhood in Atlanta, GA— to take on invasive English ivy, cherry laurel, privet and other weed species. This national Weed Wrangle event was spearheaded by Olmsted Network partners Weed Wrangle and Olmsted Linear Park Alliance (OLPA), which stewards the neighborhood’s linear park system, and made possible by the collaborative volunteer efforts of Broadcast Music Inc., Cherokee Garden Club and Peachtree Garden Club.
OLPA often works with partners such as Weed Wrangle and the Georgia Audubon to eradicate invasive species and replace them with native plants. They welcome new volunteers and encourage interested participants to visit https://www.atlantaolmstedpark.org/volunteer.
The Weed Wrangle program has long been an effective management tool in Olmsted parks across the country. It is a one-day, area-wide, volunteer effort that helps rescue public parks and green spaces from non-native invasive species through hands-on removal of especially harmful trees, vines and flowering plants. Supervised by an expert in invasive weed management, Weed Wrangle volunteers learn, practice and begin a habit of maintaining an area free of non-native invasive plants and encourage replanting with natives in removal areas. To learn more about Weed Wrangle’s mission and future work visit www.weedwrangle.org.
