Earth Day Events

This weekend and the past, we had several events around Glen Echo for Earth Day. Last weekend was a clean-up, with much of the time spent removing invasive plants and junk that had been tossed into the ravine. It’s amazing to see how much garlic mustard has taken over. I’m even seeing it in yards now. The one thing about it is that it is easy to remove; the roots tend not to be too deep in the ground. But if you don’t get it all, the roots will come back with a new plant. I like removing it because I’m a very visual person, and when I look at what I’ve accomplished, I can really see the difference that it makes when all the plants are removed. I’ve included a before and after shot of an area that’s been cleaned of garlic mustard.

One of the benefits of removing the invasive plants is that it lets the native plants come into their own and really shine. Walking through Glen Echo, I felt like I had never seen so many wild flowers poking up: blood root, wild ginger, and trout lily. The wild ginger is great at holding erosion at bay because it spreads by rhizomes. The trout lily is very beautiful with its spotted leaves. It does a nice job of spreading and creating a carpet of color.

It’s great news that The Ohio State University has officially been named Tree Campus USA certified. Chadwick Arboretum’s will be celebrating the honor on Friday, April 27th – Arbor Day – at 10am on the Oval of the Ohio State campus. There will also be a Dedication of Arbor Day Tree, a Quercus michauxxi, or Swamp Chestnut Oak.

Speaking of trees, Ohio leads the nation in Tree City USA communities, its 31st year of doing so. That’s something to be very proud of. Trees are so important to the health of the planet and also to the health of those who live on this planet, rather they have two, four, six, or eight legs.

Until next time!