Westfield Green Together - Raymond Worth Park
Front Row: Julia Grimmer and Bobby Kimball
Back Row: Shelly Brown, Monica Cannaley, Pat Brown, Lisa Birkbeck, Sarah Gillim Not Pictured: Jodi Lewis, Pam TerBush, Susie Tatum |
Hello! We are Westfield Green Together. We are a 501c3 located in Westfield, Indiana. We are all volunteers whose mission is to learn, educate and promote sustainability in our own community. Our focus is on restoring habitat, growing native plants and vegetable gardening.
What we’re doing. We have been removing invasive plant species in Raymond Worth park for 3 years now. Each season in the late fall, winter and into early spring we remove invasive honeysuckle, autumn olive, Callery pear and multiflora rose from the park. We try to replace with native shrubs and trees in the spring and fall. How we got involved. Over time we have noticed the proliferation of invasive species in many parks and public spaces. We have also learned how invasive species disrupt the food web and prevent wildlife from thriving. We decided to do something about it. Some of our members are also part of Hamilton County Invasive Partnership and we have all learned from one another the best strategies to control invasive species and the importance of this work. We continue to learn and would like others to join us! Raymond Worth Park is a beautiful natural park on the west side of Westfield but it is being overrun with invasive species. Chris McConnell from Westfield Parks has encouraged and supported our work at Raymond Worth. Why it matters to us. Humanity like the rest of nature requires a diverse and functioning ecosystem to thrive. Invasive plant species upset the food web because they do not allow native plants to grow. Native plants provide the essential food for insects and birds to thrive. When native plants are scarce due to the proliferation of invasive, non-native plants, birds cannot get enough food for their young or successfully migrate. We want to do our work right in our own community and spread the word to others about the importance of removing invasives and planting native species. The work is great exercise in the outdoors. We all feel a benefit to our physical and mental health after a session working at Raymond Worth Park. Join us! Resources for you to get involved. Check out Westfield Green Together’s website and FB group page so you can join us in some of our activities!
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