Roemer Arboretum, on South Side, is a wonderful place to visit on campus. The peace one feels when walking through the densely wooded path is hard to put into words. Although this peace is felt by us, it is not felt by the plant growth. Recently, the forests in and around the Geneseo campus have been facing a problem–invasive species. These plants and animals have slowly been eating away at the shrubbery in New York, and killing off the native species of the region. From emerald ash borers to the hemlock woolly adelgid, the list goes on and on. One species that is an evident problem, especially in the Arboretum, is called “Morrow’s honeysuckle”. Native to Asia, it was brought here purposely as “an ornamental plant, for erosion control, and for wildlife forage and cover”. However, it ended up taking over areas, out-competing the native plants and becoming a dense cover on the forest floor.
A call to action was recently announced, and students on the Geneseo campus were asked to help remove these invasives from the Arboretum. Taking up the opportunity, my peers and I were supplied with tools and started the cleanup. This process was not easy; the plants were about my height and had thick roots that clung to the soil. The seeds on the plant were an issue too: sharp needles on their outer covering clung onto my shirt firmly. Eventually, after our grueling cleanup, the area was empty, and we were able to replant this land with small native species. This part was calming, and being able to transfer these fragile plants into little holes we dug was satisfying. The hard work we did paid off, and we were able to step back and look at this new “garden” we created, which will hopefully last for a while. We then lightly covered the area in mulch and called it a day.
Being involved with this cleanup opened my eyes to the fact that students on campus need to take action with problems, whether they be minor or major. Although we replanted a small portion of the Arboretum, this is a step towards the complete removal of invasive species and a return to a more natural environment. I’m hoping to involve myself further in another cleanup in the future, and I urge every student to do the same. –Carlo Tobia