Skip to main content

U.S. Forest Service


Earth Month on the Wayne National Forest

By Cheryl Coon on Jul 7, 2009

The following text describes this image.

SITES volunteers proudly display their garlic mustard pull efforts

Wayne National Forest and Partners used April (Earth Month) to educate the community about wildflowers, native pollinators and non-native invasive species.

The Athens Ranger District on the Wayne National Forest took some time during the month of April, Earth Month, to work with partners and the community to celebrate our native plants and pollinators and to protect them from Non-native invasive species.

Early in April, Recreation Technician Pam Meyer and five SITES (Social Involvement Through Education and Service) volunteers pulled garlic mustard, a non-native invasive plant from the Leith Run Campground and adjoining hiking trail. At the end of the day, the group had pulled 25 large garbage bags with their efforts. "I could barley fit it all in the truck" exclaimed Meyer.

On April 18, at the annual Marietta Earth Day event, Cheryl Coon and Marcia Newell, represented the Wayne National Forest. The focus of the Wayne's outreach was native pollinators and their importance. Children and adults stopped at the booth to create their own bee or butterfly while discussing how pollinators positively impact human's daily lives. With an estimated 450 participants at the Earth Day event, there were a lot of construction paper bees and butterflies swarming the event!

On April 23rd, 6 members of the Hocking Wildlife Club (Hocking College) helped the Wayne NF pull garlic mustard along trails in the Paines Crossing Special Area. This was the fifth year the Club has assisted the Wayne NF in protecting this unique, oak-maple swamp forest and buttonbush swamp on Monday Creek. The amount of garlic mustard continues to drop each year - Thanks Hocking Wildlife!!

Two "Celebrating Wildflower" hikes were held on the Athens Ranger District to introduce the local community to the rich flora of Appalachian Ohio. Forest Botanist, Cheryl Coon led the hikes: one at Wildcat Hollow Trail on the Athens Unit and another on the Marietta Unit. Local retired botanist, Marilyn Ortt, joined the Marietta event. The two events drew in a total of 18 adults and students to learn the flowering plants of the season. Finds included: blue cohosh, goldenseal, white and nodding trilliums, Virginia blue-bells, blue-eyed Mary's, yellow buckeye, sweet William and many, many more. Participants also helped the native flora by pulling garlic mustard found along the trails during the walks.