Staff Report - City of Alexandria

DATE: JUNE 16, 2011
City of Alexandria, Virginia
______________
MEMORANDUM
TO: PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
FROM: ROGER BLAKELEY DEPUTY DIRECTOR,
RECREATION, PARKS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
SUBJECT: PARK OPERATIONS MONTHLY REPORT FOR JUNE- ITEM VII-B
Increased Volunteer Activity
Many thanks to all the volunteers for all their hard work and dedication in making the May 7,
2011 Statewide Invasive Exotic Plant Removal Day a success.
Our March 26 effort was the first such workday of this year, and mainly focused on continuing
with removing English Ivy from Chinquapin Park, as well as other invasive exotic plants.
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) was chosen as the target species for removal in the City
because it is a serious problem weed throughout our parks and natural areas;
Chinquapin Park –The City, NVCT, ARMN, and others sponsored an English Ivy pull here in
March, with some Garlic Mustard pulled.
On Friday May 6, Patrick Earle, T.C. Williams H.S. Biology instructor and site leader,
supervised 20 students in pulling Garlic Mustard for 1 hour, and 18 students in pulling Garlic
Mustard for 1.5 hours. On May 7, site leaders Jim Clark and Nancy Miller of ARMN and
Patrick Earle, supervised 21 volunteers from 10:00 a.m. to after 2:00 p.m. in pulling Garlic
Mustard. Including both days, a total of 43 tightly-packed 2 cu. ft. bags and 5 tightly-packed 3
cu. ft. bags of Garlic Mustard were removed, as well as one 2 cu. ft. bag of recyclables from the
stream and trail, by 62 volunteers (including site leaders).
Dora Kelley Nature Park - a large City park that stretches along Holmes Run at the eastern end
of the Holmes Run Gorge.
A total of 5 volunteers, including Whitney Bailey (site leader with NVCT), removed 4 tightlypacked
3 cu. ft. bags of Garlic Mustard from the park for 2-3 hours.