Grandview Heights

Concerted Effort Made to Control Invasive Plants at Grandview Heights Park

Wyman Woods Park in the City of Grandview Heights, OH (Franklin County) is undergoing some much needed restoration thanks to the hard work of a number of volunteer groups and coordination of these efforts by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The 14 acre park is at the northeast corner of the intersection of W. Goodale Street and Grandview Avenue. The 7 wooded acres within the park are heavily infested with the invasive shrub amur honeysuckle. Amur honeysuckle and other invasive plants have many negative impacts on wooded areas including suppressing the growth of overstory trees, suppressing regeneration of tree seedlings and other native forest plants, reducing plant diversity, reducing the quality of wildlife habitat, and spoiling the natural beauty of the woods.

Honeysuckle control efforts began in November 2007 when Eagle Scout Grant Hamilton of Grandview Heights Boys Scout Troop 73 initiated a community service project with other members of his troop. Eagle Scout Ryan Schofield, also of Boy Scout Troop 73 in Grandview Heights, continued the effort with a community service project of his own. On the hot and muggy weekend of May 16 and 17, 2009, Ryan and his parents, along with other members of Troop 73, and Grandview Heights Parks and Recreation employees, attacked the bush honeysuckle to the east of the sled hill. Shrubs were cut off at the base and then dragged up or down the wooded hillside to a chipper. Grandview Heights Park and Recreation staff are planning to follow up with a chemical treatment of the cut stumps to prevent re-sprouting of the unwanted invasive shrubs.

Grandview Heights High School seniors also contributed to the invasive plant control efforts at the park. On May 19, 2009, 65 students showed up at the park to participate in a community service work day in lieu of the traditional ‘senior skip day’. The students made a big dent in the honeysuckle population in the park.

Honeysuckle control efforts in the park will continue throughout the summer. In July, the U. S. Mennonite Conference will be held in Columbus and 15 conference attendees have signed up to work on honeysuckle control during the afternoons of June 30th through July 2nd. In addition, the City of Grandview Heights will hire a contractor to continue with invasive plant control in the park. The City also received a grant from the Columbus Foundation which will be used to plant native trees in the spring of 2010.

Controlling invasive plants is hard work and it can be a daunting task for communities and private landowners alike. The coordinated effort of the diverse volunteer groups in Grandview Heights provides an excellent example of how communities can address this problem during these tough economic times. It is a slow and gradual process that requires vigilance to achieve control. But these efforts will pay off in the long run as the park is improved for all members of the community to enjoy.




Photos One Month After the Initial Amur Honeysuckle Removal