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= ,i w r��r w.li T� �' �' <br /> EUGENE J _i NMI '� m a i l =JAir laveL.' <br /> August 15, 2002 <br /> CONTACT: <br /> • Michael Robert or John Moriarty, Hendricks Park, 682-5324 <br /> • Therese M. Picado, Parks and Open Space Public Information Specialist, 682-4814 or <br /> 682-4800, therese.m.picado(a�ci.eugene.or.us <br /> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <br /> HELP FREE THE TREES AT HENDRICKS PARK THIS SATURDAY <br /> Hendricks Park staff invite community members to the second "Free the Trees" work <br /> party this summer on Saturday, August 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Interested volunteers <br /> should meet at the F.M. Wilkins Shelter on Summit Avenue to fuel-up with pastries courtesy of <br /> Eugene City Bakery before fanning out through the forest to begin freeing, or removing English <br /> ivy, from the trees. <br /> English ivy is a non-native, invasive plant that last winter was officially quarantined by <br /> the Oregon Department of Agriculture to prevent its sale and propagation in the state. In <br /> Hendricks Park, ivy causes damage to the native forest ecosystem by developing into a dense <br /> ground cover that prevents native plants from growing. The loss of native plants reduces the <br /> habitat for animals and insects that depend on the natural forest environment. When ivy grows <br /> up the trunks of trees, it produce seeds, allowing it to spread even further and cause more <br /> damage in other parts of the forest. The ivy can also become so heavy that it can contribute to <br /> the collapse of trees in a windstorm. <br /> Over the course of last summer and this summer, 12 acres of parkland have been <br /> cleared of ivy. Hendricks Park staff hope to have all the ivy removed from trees by the end of <br /> September so that they can focus on removing ivy from the ground when the rains return and <br /> loosen the soil later in the fall. <br /> Another ivy removal work party is scheduled for September 21, also from 9:30 a.m. to 1 <br /> p.m. Please wear long sleeves and pants and sturdy shoes and bring plenty of water. Tools will <br /> be available on site. For more information, call Michael Robert or John Moriarty at 682-5324. <br /> ### <br />