Many hands. Light work. Profound Impact.
Invasive vines constitute the greatest ongoing threat to the health of our woods. Non-native vine species overwhelm native plants and have no natural controls. They rob trees of light and nutrients–resulting in woods that are struggling merely to survive.
Maintaining roughly 100 acres of woods is a herculean feat for a single committee. But collectively? It’s easy. And fun.
Here’s the scoop! (More details can be accessed through the FAQs through the tab above.)
- The woods have been parceled into 105 plots (each roughly 1 acre in size) that residents can “adopt” for light maintenance at least once a year.
- Each plot is assigned a color – red, blue, orange or yellow. Kind of like hiking a trail in a national park! We will also arm you with some super easy training, a field guide, and an iPhone app, to find your way. And you’re off!
- Here’s a QR code that you can use to download the app to your iPhone:
- If you do not have an iPhone, email us at AdoptaPlot@bayridge.org, and we’ll arrange for a personal sherpa.
- In the early days of the program we used colored markings in the forest using ribbons, painted posts or painted trees–shown below to mark plot boundaries. Some of those markings remain today, and can be helpful, but we recommend using the iPhone app to find your way around. It’s much easier.
[threecol_one_first] 
Ribbons in Trees [/threecol_one_first][threecol_one]
Painted Posts[/threecol_one][threecol_one_last]
Painted Tree[/threecol_one_last]
- We’ve identified the best time of year (late October 1 – April 30) for maintenance. This is when the tick population is down, and it’s easiest to see what you are doing. When the trees have dropped their leaves, you can simply look up and easily notice any English Ivy (still green in winter). Those trees need tending–they just need the Ivy vines clipped at the base of the tree.
- You can maintain your own plot on your own or take a friend. It’s a great family activity. And the best part is that you can maintain your plot on your own timeframe–when it’s convenient for you!
- Shop for a plot by viewing our maps–and once you’ve made a selection, you’re welcome to “prospect” it and determine if it’s the right fit for you. After selecting an available plot, send us an email at: AdoptaPlot@bayridge.org requesting that plot number.
WHAT’S EXPECTED OF YOU?
- Visit your site at least once per year to clip invasive vines that have advanced around and up the trees since the last vine maintenance visit. Just clip out about a 2-inche length of each invasive vine.
- Report on progress by sending an email to AdoptaPlot@bayridge.org, giving the date that you/your group completed its annual vine maintenance visit for the entire plot–and alert us of any concerns or problems you think should be brought to the attention of the FMC.
Check out the FAQ’s for more information.