Doug reports substantial success in the "War on Garlic Mustard" in Woodland Park. Doug and the other volunteers who helped restore the native flora and fauna deserve much thanks and praise.

There is good news on other fronts in the war: The woods in Maywood Park is virtually free of its infestation; in Fireman's park there are just 2 small patches compared to the bags and bags that we pulled out last year; Frost Woods Beach is significantly improved with just a few scattered plants and will be virtually free next year. The bad news is that Frost Woods Park wasn't completely pulled two years ago and now is badly infested, however this can be remedied with a several hours work over each of the next few years.

You can also help by pulling this invasive species from the edges of your own yard, this will reduce the availability of the seeds and help limit its spread. Be sure to dispose of it in trash bags put out for garbage collection (they should be labelled "Garlic Mustard").

Garlic Mustard is an invasive species that crowds out native plants in shady areas and it poisonous to many insects including butterfly caterpillars. Because it has no native predators it takes over large areas. It undermines the base of the ecosystem that supports our native plants, animals and birds.