Learn how to get rid of invasive plants with sheet mulching on Sunday, April 5, 1-4pm, at the John Zon Community Center. Greening Greenfield is partnering with Peter Wackernagel and Youth Climate Action Franklin County (YCAFC) to save the sweet fern planting from invasives along School Street, and restore the area.
“Two years ago, the native sweetfern shrubs were smothered and broken by invasive bedstraw, bindweed, sweet pea, and mugwort, so we reached out to Regenerative Design Group to get advice on what to do,” said Nancy Hazard, member of Greening Greenfield. “Genevieve Lawlor came to analyze the problem, and recommended an incremental multi-year management plan for us. We are now looking for volunteers to work with us on year two of her plan.”
When The JZ Center was built eight years ago, Greenfield residents asked that it be landscaped with native plants. In the process, soil was brought in, and it had a lot of weed seeds. Two years ago, Greening Greenfield decided to work with others to restore the foundation plantings. In the summer of 2025, they worked with volunteer Ardi Keim to regularly cut back all the unwanted plants around the sweetfern to gradually weaken them without disturbing the soil.
At the workday, volunteers will learn about the invasive weeds, than then cut cardboard to fit around the sweetfern, and then add about 3” of woodchips supplied by the DPW, to smother the invasive vines and plants. In 2027, Greening Greenfield will hold a work day to plant native ground covers. To register for the April 5 event, or with questions, email Hepatica3000@gmail.com, or call 413-774-5667.