Takoma Park benefits from efforts by city vegetation manager Anna Mische John, often in concert with neighborhood volunteers, to remove invasive plants from city parks and to plant native trees, shrubs, and perennials in their place. Anna recently updated FONTT on volunteer efforts and a few of the projects.

Anna recruits volunteers from neighborhood groups and an email list she maintains for invasive removal or planting blitzes alongside city employees. Some volunteers work independently, but sign a city Right of Entry form and follow Anna’s instructions on specific invasives to clear.

As for the projects, in Circle Woods, city staff, contractors, and volunteers removed invasives during work sessions from autumn 2022 through early 2024. In a celebratory email blast last March, Anna invited volunteers to “help plant the next generation of trees” in Circle Woods, and she was delighted that so many people participated.

In Spring Park, Anna has overseen work over the past 18 months to clear bush honeysuckle, liriope, English ivy, and Japanese honeysuckle from the area around the Powhatan water feature and another section. She lauded the efforts by volunteer (and FONTT member) Anita Burkam, who has donated “so many” hours to removing English ivy and wisteria from Spring Park’s trees.

Anna hopes to maintain these cleared areas as “forest edge” environments with newly planted spicebush, native viburnums, and sedges.

For Stuart Armstrong Park, the sloping plot beside Takoma Park Elementary School, Anna would like it to become a “pollinator arboretum.” This park would highlight native trees, including existing redbuds and American holly. Anna plans to fill its understory with native shrubs.

Last winter, a city-hired crew felled trees, cleared a thicket of large bush honeysuckles, and chipped the stumps. Meanwhile, a volunteer pulled out smaller bush honeysuckles, removed invasive vines from trees, and hauled away several bags of trash. At year-end, Anna’s team will plant viburnums and spicebush; next spring will see the planting of sedges and perennials.

–Meg Voorhes

Editor’s Note:  Contact Anna Mische John at AnnaMJ@takomaparkmd.gov if you would like to be on her email list of potential volunteers.