Hilltop Conservancy volunteers made good progress during last weekend’s Hilltop brush-clearing session: 12 people came on Saturday, and four more on Sunday. The Conservancy is almost three-quarters of the way done with clearing the Prisoner’s Pond project’s second tree-planting site, and it’s calling for more volunteers this weekend.
The work will take place on Saturday and Sunday, February 22 and 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. You are welcome to come for any amount of time you can spare. The Conservancy will bring some pruning saws and loppers, but if you have an extra handsaw at home, please bring it. And if anyone has a chainsaw, there are bush honeysuckle stumps that need to be shaved off. Work gloves and sturdy shoes are a must.
If you are a Scout, any time you spend at the site counts as conservation or community service hours.
In 2017, the Conservancy embarked on a five-year plan to regenerate five acres of the Hilltop with native trees. Hilltop Conservancy volunteers began by clearing part of the site of an extensive infestation of invasive plants, as well as trees that had been killed by the Emerald Ash Borer. Last April, they planted 80 Silver Maples, Black Gums, Red Maples, Pin Oaks, Basswoods and Tulip Poplars, all of which are native trees in our area. Once the trees establish themselves, they will provide a canopy under which smaller native trees, shrubs and ground cover can grow and provide a healthy habitat for many different animals.
