Volunteers are needed for a Knoxville community removal of invasive species, scheduled for Saturday, March 5, from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
“Invasive plant removal is vital to protecting native ecosystems,” said Ijams Natural Resource Manager Ben Nanny. “Invasive, non-native species take over native plants and trees that animals and pollinators rely on for food and shelter.”
The weeding event is part of an organized focus on weed pulling across the city, at Mary Vestal Park in south Knoxville; East Knoxville’s Citizens Cemetery; William Hastie Natural Area; Knoxville Botanical Garden; Ijams and West High School.
The Ijams, West High School and William Hastie Natural Area volunteer recruitments are filled.
Preregistration is required; sites fill on a first-come, first-served basis. To sign up, visit Ijams.org/weed-wrangle. The deadline to register is Thursday, March 3.
Ijams Volunteer Coordinator Sammy Shorey said the work can be labor intensive, but it’s incredibly rewarding. “It’s a wonderful way to get outside and be active, safely spend time with like-minded individuals and make a difference,” Shorey said. “It feels really great to know that you’re helping to protect this region’s history and the habitat that supports the wildlife that makes Knox County — and East Tennessee — so special.”