Woodlands Restoration
The Franklin Park woodlands - 200 acres of forest that circle the park - need attention if they are to survive for future generations to enjoy. The first step is a Woodlands Management Plan.
| Upcoming Woodlands Work: |
Take this quick quiz
1) What weed tree has invaded every section of woods in the park?
2) Which zoo animal likes to eat Japanese knotweed?
3) Did you know there are many edible fruits and nuts in Franklin Park? Are you able to name any?
Restoring the woodlands
Why is Franklin Park such a pleasant refuge from the hot and smoggy city streets? The trees in the park are largely responsible for that. First of all, their shade cools us down. Also their canopy of leaves buffers the loud city noises. Since the trees are busy giving off oxygen and filtering pollution, you breathe easier in the woodlands. During every season--especially the fall--their beauty captivates us. And of course the trees are not just providing a scenic refuge; they also provide homes for birds and bees and food for many squirrels. Thanks to Frederick Law Olmsted's vision, Franklin Park is a natural oasis for both people and animals.
Right in the heart of the city, the Franklin Park Woodlands contain trees that range from two-hundred year old oaks to towering evergreens. A spectacular Beech Grove can be found and perfectly vertical cedars rise throughout the park. The question is: Will these majestic trees be here for another 200 years or even 20 more?
While the forest is still appears breathtakingly beautiful, our woodlands are in tough shape. Young trees are being smothered by invasive weeds such as Japanese Knotweed and common catbrier. This means the forest understory of ground cover, shrubs and young trees has been virtually eliminated in many areas. With few saplings to grow into healthy mature trees and older trees at the end of their life span, you can picture what the future holds. You can see some of the plants and trees planted by Frederick Law Olmsted when he created the park 125 years ago on the Emerald Necklace Plant List.
A community crusade
The situation is not as dire as it seems because the Franklin Park Coalition is working to raise the funds and tap the professional expertise to save the Woodlands. Since 1976, the Franklin Park Coalition has been working to expand community participation in the stewardship of Franklin Park. Now we are on a community crusade, involving park stake-holders and neighborhood volunteers. Even more important, the Coalition has developed a Woodlands Management Plan to shape the future of the park and ensure that fifty years from now, Franklin Park will still be a gem in the Emerald Necklace. You can tell us your ideas about how you want the woodlands to look and feel by completing theWoodlands Questionnaire.
What can you do?
You can help too. Hundreds of volunteers using sheer manual labor and hand tools have successfully cleared areas to save young trees. As one small section at a time is weeded, ideally native plant species will return to those areas. But if they don’t, we will plant native seedlings to compete with the invasive plants to keep them in check.
If you do decide to get involved, you won't be alone. Volunteers of all ages are doing their part. Some perform this valuable work individually, but most work in organized groups from schools, community programs, surrounding neighborhoods, or even corporations. The work is easy to learn and nothing is more satisfying than liberating a small tree from a tangle of catbrier’s vines.
To help us out--by volunteering for a clean up, donating money for this work, or contributing your expertise--contact us at mail@franklinparkcoalition.org.
Quiz Answers
1) Common buckthorn, a tree native to Europe and Glossy buckthorn, one natively ranging from Asia to Africa, grow densely throughout Franklin Park. These trees were first introduced in North America during the 1700s as hedges. They now form smothering thickets around saplings of desirable native trees.
2) When a giraffe from Franklin Park Zoo was suffering from wasting disease, zookeepers discovered that knotweed not only revived the animal's appetite, but the giraffes really love the stuff. Too bad they cannot graze freely on the knotweed all over the park.
3) Besides the edible plants and herbs described on the page linked below, Franklin Park has many fruit trees and shrubs. Black cherries and raspberries can be found in several areas. Blueberries dot the Wilderness, while grapes grow there too and also near the White Stadium entrance. Although rare, you may be lucky enough to discover a black walnut or hickory nut tree.
If you like rhubarb, you can also cook knotweed.To learn more about edible plants and herbs in the park, check the calendar of events for seasonal foraging walks.
You can see we have a lot of work to do, and the best way to help the park is through our Woodland Management Plan, strengthening the park of today to prepare it for tomorrow.