Greenbelt Fans,

On Saturday, January 29, we will start our eighth year of quarterly work days on the greenbelt. I hope many of you can join us to continue the work of caring for this very special public space.

We will be working from the Homedale Entry, 2010 Homedale Drive (behind Barton Hills Elementary School), from 9:00 – 1:00. Show up in time for a breakfast taco treat provided by Barton Hills Neighborhood Association. Sign-in, choose a task, meet with your team leader, select the tools you will need, and go to work in the woods! The usual work camaraderie will begin, and at the end of the day, you will see palpable results of your efforts. In these times of high tech immersion, directly observing the fruits of your labor is a rare and treasured experience.

We will be working from the trailhead entry down to the rock flats. There is lots of weeding and “sprucing up” due at the entry area. In this dormant vegetative cycle, the evergreen invasive Ligustrum and Nandina stand out boldly, so we will go after them. We are noticing a second generation cycle, coming out of the seedbank, after our quite thorough cleaning several years ago. Fortunately, most of it can be handled with weed wrenches and hand tools, since most of the very large ones have been eliminated. We want to get these small new ones before they start their new seed cycle.

We’ve also got some trailside clearing to do, cutting back brush, removing suckers, and re-arranging and extending some windrows on a hillside. Also some bridge repair and rail repair along the trail. Always trash clean-up…

Please RSVP if you can come and work on this day. Plan to wear long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toe shoes (easier to do in the winter than summer…). It’s a good idea to bring your favorite water bottle too, to keep with you as you work. We’re looking forward to another great work day.

Glee Ingram
Greenbelt Guardian Coordinator
(512) 443-7522
gleeful@earthlink.net