Comments on: Just in time for Easter, wildflowers emerge in Park Woods

By: Ervie Glick

Ervie Glick — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 23:43:00 +0000

The first may apple blossoms are appearing. Two flourishing sets of Solomon’s seal are marked by orange traffic cones to the north of the cabin. Watch for their string of pearls. Jack-in-the-pulpits are plentiful, spreading the Good News of the Gospel. And the shooting stars are demonstrating just how they got their name, flashing from on high. Don’t miss the show!
Ervie

By: Brian Martin Burkholder

Brian Martin Burkholder — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 01:20:20 +0000

It’s good to hear that a few others are equally concerned about the flourishing garlic mustard in this woods. It could take years to remove it as the first year of growth is less notable since it does not send up a stalk with flowers. We’ve enjoyed garlic mustard pesto! This evening there was a pair of Mallard Ducks hanging out in a wet area.

By: Paul Hoover

Paul Hoover — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 00:02:40 +0000

I have been pulling mustard garlic form my” little woods” this spring and feeding it to my steer who loves it.
Paul Hoover

By: Marie Hertzler

Marie Hertzler — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 17:43:23 +0000

Here’s a thrifty way to give purpose to weeding garlic mustard: use the leaves to make pesto–it substitutes for the basil. Quite tasty and can be used as a sandwich spread as well as the traditional pasta sauce.

By: Kenton Brubaker

Kenton Brubaker — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 16:10:10 +0000

Clair is right about the Hepatica. I have not seen this one but the basal leaves would identify it. They are not on the photo. I’ll have to have Ervie show this to me! Betty Deputy had several Hepatica in her little planting but they seem to be gone. I think the Mayapple is about to bloom but it is not yet May! Shooting star is trying to bloom but not when I looked last week, it has been in bud for some time. I pull out a lot of the garlic mustard I encounter on my walks but it will soon take over on the southeast corner of the woods.
Kenton

By: Wendy Wenger Hochstedler

Wendy Wenger Hochstedler — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 14:00:40 +0000

This effort is so wonderful to hear. I spent many an hour while a work study student at EMU around 2000 working with and under the direction of Professor Emeritus Kenton Brubaker doing these same tasks of removing invasives plant species in Park Woods. Kenton was a wonderful teacher and storyteller as we worked, removing invasive seed sources, but planting plenty of seeds of passion in my own heart for conserving native spaces. May the current process be repeating this vision in many others to come! Invasive species are tenacious by definition, but so are creation’s caretakers.

By: Clair Mellinger

Clair Mellinger — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 13:50:38 +0000

Good work, nice wildflowers, and beautiful photos. However the top photo (and perhaps the second) is of Hepatica rather than Rue Anemone. It’s nice to see Kenton Brubaker’s hard work at re-introducing these wildflower species is bearing fruit … so to speak.

By: Jack Hummel

Jack Hummel — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 12:00:43 +0000

I have noticed that the Mayapples are coming out in numbers I haven’t seen before! I know it’s been a ton of hard work, and I’m thankful for the time that Ervie and Wengers/grounds crew have put in as Park Woods makes the grueling path to recovery as a flourishing forest!