This will be the last clean up of 2011, putting the ravine to rest for the winter. Plan to join us to remove litter+ before all being covered by a blanket of snow. Join us at Overbrook and High, Overbrook and Canyon, Overbrook and Indianola, and Overbrook and Yaronia where you will find supplies and sign in sheets. We thank you for supporting the health of our community , ravines and streams for another season.

Dear Neighbors,

It is time for our September Clean Up for which we will have the support of Karl Hoessle of Columbus Parks in removing the Honeysuckle and Tree of Heaven at the corner of Cooke Rd. and Overbrook Dr.  He will have city trucks, shredders there to remove the debris.  We need to support with manpower.  Parking will be an issue, so I will be at Overbrook and High and can transport anybody that can help with this project to that location.  The rest of us will focus on the litter along the road and stream beds at our usual destinations.  This is big to have the City support in this endeavor.  Please mark your calendar to join us!

Thanks to everyone who helped out this past weekend. We replanted trees and shrubs (which are now enjoying cooler, wetter conditions as they get re-established), weeded the rain garden area, pulled garlic mustard, and cleaned off storm drains. 

Please keep an eye out for garlic mustard.  This is a critical time for it.  Any seeding we can prevent this year will dramatically help us in coming years.

Join us for another cleanup. Garlic Mustard season is upon us, and we’ll be focusing our efforts on pulling or cutting the blossoms wherever it may be found between Indianola and High.  In addition we’ll be looking for people to pick up trash and possibly replant trees and bushes that were removed/rescued from the High/Overbrook sidewalk project.

A somewhat belated but nevertheless heartfelt thank you to the nearly 30 people who helped plant close to 300 trees and bushes as well as collect trash and remove honeysuckle on Saturday April 16.  Our planting efforts included restoring vegetation along  High Street where the sidewalk had been replaced.  Species planted included:

• Spice Bush
• Nine Bark
• Elderberry
• Redbud
• Paw Paw
• Silky Dogwood
• Sugar Maple
• Hackberry
• White Oak
• Shumard Oak
• Tulip Poplar

Neighbors,

It is hard to believe that Fall is here and it’s time for our September Clean Up!

• Honeysuckle needs to be pulled out or cut;
• Tree of Heaven needs to be pulled out or cut;
• Litter needs to be picked up, especially in the Indianola/Yaronia Overbrook stream bed area;
• The Rain Garden needs its monthly weeding.

Meet for supplies and sign-ins at Overbrook and High; Canyon and Overbrook; Yaronia and Overbrook; Indianola and Overbrook.  We look forward to seeing you.

Join us to clean up litter, cut honeysuckle, and weed/trim the Rain Garden. Supplies will be located at Overbrook & High; Overbrook & Canyon; Overbrook & Yaronia; Overbrook & Indianola. Come and say hello to Susan Michael Barrett who will be joining us for this clean up!

We had another successful clean-up this past Saturday. 23 volunteers removed over 56 bags of garlic mustard from the ravine, as well as several bags of trash. If we stay focused in local areas, the impact can be quite impressive!

There were several questions about whether it was still worth pulling garlic mustard after it has gone to seed, to which there is one simple answer: absolutely! The garlic mustard still has the seed on the plant (they are currently immature but will start maturing soon), so removing the plant and putting it into bags (to prevent seed dispersal) still can make quite an impact in preventing future infestations of this invader.

I am also happy to report that our neighbor, Dr. Wiline Pangle, will be bringing her “Introduction to Ecology” class (EEOB 503 for those interested) to our ravine to look at the effects of invasive plants on native areas, as well as to identify natives. The students will be walking through the ravine, and spending a little time pulling garlic mustard. With 76 students (in smaller groups), every bit of time will help! Also a quick reminder that the recent (and upcoming) rains make it easier to pull out the root.

Thank you for all you do to help our ravine!
–Derek

What a wonderful morning to work in the ravine! Nice and cool, with freshly softened ground that made pulling out garlic mustard quite easy.

We had an amazing turn-out as well (35 volunteers!), from our usual crew of neighbors and school partners, as well as volunteers through the Earth Day 2010 (http://update2010.org) and our site sponsor, Malcolm Pirnie. As a reminder, there is an Earth Day celebration in Franklin Park on Thursday, April 22, 3-10pm.

We gathered 7 (30 gal) bags of trash, planted many native plants and removed weeds in the raingarden, planted 95 native trees in the ravine, and pulled out 70 (!) bags of garlic mustard.

There is still much more garlic mustard to be removed, so it you feel inspired on a walk, please take some time to remove some of this aggressive plant. Our mentor, Greg Schneider, pointed out that with only flowers on the plant at this point, if the stem is broken between the flower and the roots, the plants will not go to seed and can just be composted in the ravine or the side of the road.

Thanks for all you do! We are all very blessed to live in such a beautiful area.

–Derek

Just a reminder that our first “Second Saturday” cleanup will be this weekend Saturday 4/17, to coincide with the City’s Earth Day volunteer initiative. We’ll be picking up litter,  pulling garlic mustard, and planting trees from 9-11.

Sign in and supplies will be at Overbrook & High; Overbrook & Canyon; Overbrook & Yaronia; Overbrook & Indianola.

This is a great opportunity to get out and meet your neighbors while improving the community.  We look forward to seeing you.  Bring a friend.