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CITY OF FOREST HILLS ASKS FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR WEED WRANGLE SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 2025
The City of Forest Hills is organizing the annual Weed Wrangle to be held Saturday, March 1 and is asking for volunteers. The effort helps rescue our public parks and green spaces from non-native invasive species through hands-on removal of especially harmful trees, vine and flowering plants. In making the announcement, the City of Forest Hills Cultural and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Susan Andrews said, “We’re engaging our neighbors to join us and learn about the removal of harmful trees, vines and plants in hope they will apply this knowledge to their own yards. We’re always encouraged by the enthusiasm these events bring to our community to improve the environment in our community.”
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This Weed Wrangle will focus on Bison Meadow which was established in 1994 as a Tennessee Bicentennial Project, a 2 ½ acre park on the historic Natchez Trace. This “old Indian path” itself followed the path of buffalo, elk and other large animals heading to the big salt lick on the Cumberland River. The acreage has invasive vines and weeds that need to be extracted. Invasive plants know no borders. This is what inspired the Garden Club of Nashville, a member of the Garden Club of America, to create Weed Wrangle in 2015. Now in its eleventh year, Weed Wrangle has spread like a weed into multiple states. This event educates the public about the damage that non-native invasive plants cause and the critical importance of native plants that are essential to the health of the American landscape. Invasive, or non-native plants, are pushing out native species. Invasive plants were introduced here decades ago for agricultural or landscaping purposes. At the time, they were thought to have beneficial purpose, but they now threaten to overtake Tennessee’s native plant population. The best way to control alien plants such as bush honeysuckle, Chinese privet, autumn olive, English ivy, garlic mustard and winter creeper is hands-on removal in late winter when the plants have begun to sprout. Each site is supervised by an expert in invasive weed management. Weed Wrangle volunteers learn, practice and begin a habit of maintaining an area free of non-native invasive plants and encourage replanting with natives in removal areas. By engaging our neighbors and challenging them to take action in their own spaces, the city hopes to create a movement that will have the greatest impact on the invasive plant population.
The public is invited to participate to Weed Wrangle Saturday, March 1st from 9 a.m. – noon. Parking will be at Bison Meadow Park along Hemingway Drive.
About the Cultural and Natural Resources Committee: Forest Hills, a small residential city in southwest Davidson County, Tenn., is dedicated to keeping the city’s land healthy by allowing native plants to thrive and assisting citizens in knowing how to keep local waters healthy. The Cultural and Natural Resources Committee of Forest Hills is devoted to protecting the community’s unique character including its scenic vistas, environmental features and native landscapes.
