Susan - Strawtown Koteewi Park
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Hello! I’m Susan. I love pausing to talk with Park Visitors when I’m volunteering at Strawtown Koteewi Park! You may see me cutting things down in the Prairie and around it’s edges all within sight of the Taylor Nature Center.
What I’m Doing I volunteer independently with Hamilton County Parks to help remove invasive species and non-prairie plants at Strawtown Koteewi Park. You can see me here year round, working on days that match my schedule, within the parameters authorized by the Park. I often target invasive Honeysuckle, Callery (Bradford) Pear, Multiflora Rose and anything I see that doesn’t belong. When I received orientation, I was told that Indiana wants to be a forest, but we are trying to keep this small area a prairie so often I am removing small trees of all varieties. How I Got Involved I moved to Hamilton County (Noblesville) in 2020 and started volunteering with the HIP Strike Team in October of 2021. HIP taught me a lot about invasives including how to identify some of the more common ones and how to control them.
Why It Matters to Me My father always told me to ‘make myself useful’ and I confess nothing makes me feel better than a good day working outside. This is something positive I can do to improve my little corner of the world. Instead of sitting around complaining about all the worlds’ problems I’m taking steps to improve one of them. Invasives are becoming ever more problematic and if we want to help the birds and other wildlife, we really have to address the invasives and replant with natives. There is so much for me to learn and I’m enjoying the process. Resources for You to Get Involved
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