Volunteers Have Asked and the Invasives Team is Answering
“Are there more ways for me to get involved with invasive plant removal in the James River Park System?”
“Do you have volunteer opportunities when I’m not working?”
“Can I just pull up English Ivy when I’m out walking in the Park?”
These are questions that the Invasive Species Management (ISM) team of the James River Park System is asked fairly frequently. Up until recently, the answer to all of these has often been some version of “No”.
However, with the new year comes a new, more nuanced answer….
In response to such community interest as well as the growing need to relieve the Park of these smothering plants, our ISM team (in consultation with multiple other partners**) has been developing a specialized volunteer training program called Habitat Heroes.
The Habitat Heroes program trains, mobilizes, and authorizes community members to work voluntarily and independently in the removal of certain invasive plants from designated areas of the James River Park System.
As many of our readers are already aware, the James River Park System hosts volunteer events* that are open to the public regularly throughout the year. Community members can find out the schedule, information, and directions for registration to these activities from online sites such as the calendar on the this website. Our invasive plant removal events do not require that volunteers have previous knowledge or experience with the topic or work. Instead, each event includes an orientation, training, and direct supervision for both new and returning participants.
As many of our readers are also aware: Once a volunteer knows about the damage that an invasive plant causes and they’ve had the satisfying experience of removing it, they want to remove more. (It’s hard to stop, isn’t it?) This is when our ISM team is asked about more opportunities to continue doing the work.
The Habitat Heroes will be community members 18 years and older who have participated in multiple public volunteer invasive plant removal events with the James River Park System, and through the course of those events have demonstrated the potential to continue doing such work with less supervision.
Once they’ve gone through this initial part of the screening process, and have expressed interest and been accepted into the program, Habitat Hero trainees then receive several additional hours of more intensive orientation and training, are assessed for their plant identification and field work practices, and commit to volunteering a minimum number of hours within a year of service.
After the completion of their training, these newly certified members are authorized to remove invasive plants from the James River Park System, on their own time.
We are currently running the pilot phase of the program. Once this cohort has completed the training and we can make necessary tweaks to the course, we anticipate doing a hard launch later this spring, enrolling up to ten new trainees. By the end of the year, we hope to have trained and authorized forty members.
Imagine the relief that our Habitat Hero volunteers might feel, to be empowered and trusted to so freely and frequently care for their local park and the life that resides in it.
Imagine the relief that our native plants and wildlife might feel from all their help.
If you are interested in learning more about the Habitat Heroes program, email HabitatHeroes@JamesRiverPark.
*For more information about public volunteer events, visit: https://jamesriverpark.org/
**Much appreciation is shared for the following individuals and organizations -past and present- who have contributed to the creation of the Habitat Heroes program:
Community Foundation
Friends of the James River Park System
The Invasive Species Management Team of the James River Park System
The Programs and Operations Manager of The Departments of Parks, Recreation, and Facilities
Richmond’s Invasive Plant Task Force
The Superintendent of the James River Park System
VolunteerPro
Volunteers and staff of the Arlington Master Naturalists program in Arlington, VA
Volunteers and staff of the Weed Warriors program in Montgomery, MD
And all of the volunteers who have contributed to: The health of the James River Park System, the morale of those they work with, the experience and knowledge of staff, and the development of the Habitat Heroes program.
Thank you!
Megan Lowe
Invasive Species Management Specialist and Volunteer Coordinator
