February 14, 2017 – Woodland restoration is going on now at Hawthorne Hill Woods and will continue through March at Boundary Hill Woods and Westminster Park. Work at these park sites includes removal of non-native woodland plants in an effort to maintain the Woodridge Park District’s natural areas.
The non-native plants include but are not limited to: buckthorn, bush honeysuckle, white mulberry and multiflora rose. The removal of these non-native plants is essential to the overall health of the natural areas. When non-native woodland invasive plants are left in natural areas they aggressively choke out native groundcovers and increase soil erosion. The removal of these species will allow more sunlight to reach the understory allowing native trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses to flourish, as intended for these natural areas. Not only will this improve the aesthetics of these natural areas, but the native plants provide better habitats for birds and insects, such as Monarch Butterflies.
To conduct these woodland invasive removals, the Park District has hired Homer Environmental, LLC. to remove the non-native and invasive vegetation at the park near your home. Removal activities will consist of crews using chainsaws and mechanized equipment to selectively identify the invasive plants, as well as remove and mulch these species on site.
