Help Free the Trees at Hendricks Park this Saturday

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09/26/ 2 THU 15:52 FA% 541 682 4882 EUGENE PW MNTNC & POS PW ADMIN ~ 001 ~ September 2 , 2002 CONTACT: • Micha I Robert or John Moriarty, Hendricks Park, 682-5324 • There a M. Picado, Parks and Open Space Public Information Specialist, 682-4814 or 682-4 00, therese.m.nicado@ci.eugene.or.us FOR IMMf~DI TE RELEASE ELP FREE THE TREES AT HENDRlGKS PARK THIS SATURDAY Hend cks Park staff invite community members to the last "Free the Trees" work party of the summ r this Saturday, September 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Interested volunteers should meet t the F.M. Wilkins Shelter on Summit Avenue to fuel-up with pastries courtesy of Eugene City akery before fanning out through the forest to begin freeing, or removing English ivy, from the tees. Engli h ivy is anon-native, invasive plant that last winter was officially quarantined by the Oregon epartment of Agriculture to prevent its sale and propagation in the state. In Hendricks P rk, ivy causes damage to the native forest ecosystem by developing into a dense ground cove that prevents native plants from growing. The loss of native plants reduces the habitat fora imals and insects that depend on the natural forest environment. When ivy grows up the trunk of trees, it produces seeds, allowing it to spread even further and cause more damage in her parts of the forest. The ivy can also become sa heavy that it can contribute to the collapse of trees in a windstorm. Ove the last two summers, 12 acres of parkland have been cleared of ivy. Hendricks a Park staff h pe to have all the ivy removed from trees by the end of September so that they can focus on re oving ivy from the ground when the rains return and loosen the soil later in the fall. Ple a wear long sleeves and pants and sturdy shoes and bring plenty of water. Tools wilt be avail ble on site. For more information, call Michael Robert or John Moriarty at 682- 5324.