January 14, 2019 – Woodland restoration at Lake Harriet, Falconridge Park, Timber’s Edge and the Duke Street Basin is going on now and is expected to be complete by the end of March. Work at these park sites includes removal of non-native woodland plants in an effort to maintain the Woodridge Park District’s natural areas. Follow-up treatment to control any resprouts will be done in May.
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.
