Report of Mary Scott Nature Park workday June 03, 2017
On a sunny late spring day, nine GNPS members and a member of Boy Scout Troup 77 with his parent met at the Mary Scott Nature Park to continue planting and weeding the front parking lot bed and the pollinator flower bed. There were six new butterfly weed plants added to the circular bed. Many, many weeds were removed including the dreaded crabgrass, which will have to be removed again next workday. A couple of workers concentrated on the West Overlook entrance since so many exotic plant pests are clustered there. The nonnative invasives removed included Japanese honeysuckle, English ivy, nandina, Microstegium, winter creeper, Japanese holly, Wisteria seedlings, a group of tawny daylilies, and the awful, terrible Japanese chaff flower. Another Bradford pear seedling was pulled. At last count five Bradford pear trees remain to be removed.
The Stokes’ asters which were planted last month were blooming. Other blooming plants included butterfly weed and elderberry. The newly planted blueberry bushes are bearing fruit. The goldenrod and green-and-gold planted last month are doing well.
We found a forewing of a luna month under a sweet gum tree. We are hoping many eggs were laid.
Four of the swamp milkweed plants have returned this year.
The next scheduled workday will be Saturday, July 08, 2017, 09:30-11:30 am and a second session 1:00-3:00 pm when we plan to continue removing weeds from the new beds. We will also work along the paths hand pulling Microstegium and excavating the chaff flower plants and removing other exotic pest plants.