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A Look at Crosby Woods in January 2008

Map showing Crosby Woods
In Fall 2006 the Woodside Forest Civic Association and Friends of Sligo Creek agreed to co-sponsor a clean-up of invasive plants in the nearby woods. A photo album was created with photos showing residents some of the useful, native plants and the invasive plants that were present. The sequence for the most part follows what you would see if walking from the Soccer Bridge to Flora Lane along the Trail, then back on the dirt path. View that album.

During 2007 the woods were improved greatly. This photo essay is a guide to the plants involved in these changes. All invasive shrubs were cut, brush piled, vines cut from trees, and a field of porcelainberry sprayed by the Park.

Will residents in 2008 elect to take the last step, removing vines from the ground?. If so, we will have accomplished a first - complete invasive removal through joint efforts of a civic association - Woodside Forest, and Friends of Sligo Creek. If residents do not remove the vines, they will overrun new tree seedlings, and the future of the woods will be in doubt. Spring beauty flowers under the trees and asters at the edge will also disappear. Our goal is to complete removal of ground vines before April 2008.

Sally Gagné
January 2008

Addition, January 2009
About 20% of the vines remain, mostly in the upper half of Crosby Woods. Roots inevitably grew back in the lower half and need to be removed. Local residents are urged to join in preserving the work that has been done to date.

In spring and summer of 2008 Stuart and Brenda Armstrong and Sally Gagné made an inventory of the non-woody plants to compare with plants that show in future years. Trees were not included, and anyone wishing to work on them during one or two visits is urged to contact the RIP coordinator.

Download the spreadsheet of the inventory.

Part I - CLEANED-UP WOODS

Volunteers found that invasive shrubs took a surprising amount of space in the woods.
Removing them gave a sense of openness.

The last shrubs to go were at the upper end (north, near the Flora Lane tributary).
In the "after" photo brown shrubs beyond the fallen log are absent.

Before

After

Now prominent are all the young native box elder at the south (soccer field bridge) end.
They are easily recognized by green twigs.