What we (with help) have been doing in Colonial Park
Well, it was not HOT-hot in Colonial Park yesterday, 6/28. In fact, it was really nice, with lots of bird calls and rustling bushes and trees. By noon there were piles of weeds — burdock and bedstraw in this case. Not photographically exciting but the park will be better for the removal. Thank you again, RPCS, for getting the piles out.
Also, The Root River Council and Racine City installed more benches along the trails. Come visit Colonial Park this weekend or any time — 6 am to 10 pm. The new benches along the trails let people take breaks, or simply enjoy the "undeveloped" park, along the way.
On June 21, '25 we pulled dames rocket and bed straw in the area near the Lincoln Park bridge.
On June 15, '25 we 'planted' silver maple seeds in a wet area.
On June 7, '25 we pulled garlic mustard, and dames rocket. We also planted 40 swamp milkweed plugs near the (very wet) wetland. Later, we added some marsh marigolds practically in the water. On June 10 and 14 we pulled a lot more "weeds" -- invasives & gross undesirables like thistles.
On May 24, '25 we pulled garlic mustard, and dames rocket. On Reddit there’s a post “Pulling weeds by the roots feels oh-so-satisfying!” And it's true!
On May 17, '25 we got 18 more native plants in the ground, protected by hoop cages. Some have cardboard to make summer maintenance easier. Some are near the bench near the bridge to Lincoln Park, so you will see native flowers there in time. Of course everything is growing, so come take a look!
What we (with help) did on May 13
We planted 36 small forbs (flowering perennials) in protective rings. These will add to the native plants that survived the loss of the ash trees. Many thanks to the folks from Johnson Financial on their Service Day.
On April 26, '25 we planted 100 small trees. They are nearly twigs, but they can dream if they get planted. The Root River Council and the City (PRCS) installed six more benches.
On March 22, '25 we smothered reed canary grass
