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Volunteer: invasive species

December 16, 2023 @ 9:00 am 12:00 pm

The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy has created a new Invasive Species Eradication Taskforce.

The taskforce that aims to make people aware of invasive plant and insect species. The group is looking for volunteers to help the conservancy contain invasive species, and, when possible, eradicate them.  

Some of the invasive species the taskforce is looking at are phragmites, bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus, also called round leaf, Asian or Oriental bittersweet), buckthorn and spotted lanternfly.

“It’s imperative that we make a concentrated effort to manage these areas to keep our parks safe and healthy,” said Kristie Munson, leader of the taskforce and volunteer coordinator for the parks conservancy. The taskforce is co-managed by Shannon Collis, the newly hired invasive species coordinator who is an Environmental Justice Corps member with the Service Collaborative of WNY Inc.

There are three things you can do to help:

  1. Join a Walk and Talk tour with Munson or Collis to see what and where the problem spots are.
  2. Volunteer for removal days scheduled throughout the year by signing up online.
  3. Join the taskforce meetings once a month to share ideas on how to best manage these challenges.

For more information and to sign up, visit www.bfloparks.org/volunteer or reach out to Munson at Kristie@bfloparks.org.

Upcoming volunteer days include:

  • First Saturday of each month at Delaware Park, 9 am-noon
    • November 4
    • December 2
  • Second Saturday of each month at Cazenovia Park, 9 am-noon
    • November 11
    • December 9
  • “De-Vine Days,” where volunteers remove invasive vines, such as bittersweet, at Cazenovia Park, 9 am-noon
    • November 15
    • November 29
  • Third and fourth Saturdays of each month at South Park 9 am-noon
    • November 18
    • November 25
    • December 16
    • December 23

The volunteer days are held rain or shine, unless it’s dangerous weather.

2655 S Park Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14218
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