This past Saturday, on the first day of March, Regina Santore and I joined the fine folks of Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning to help with managing one of their stewardship areas: the Oak Ridge Cedar Barrens. The goal was to remove woody plant growth from the two prairie sites in the park in order to maintain the health of these grasslands – and we had some great weather! TCWP had plenty of tools for everyone to help out, down to the Super Official Weed Wrangle™ gloves that we were allowed to keep. Regina and I learned so much about identifying dormant plant species endemic to this specific area with the help of Margaret Cumberland, Larry Pounds, and Jimmy Groton: plants like Poison Ivy (when it’s not in its vine stage and has no leaves), Virginia Pine, Strawberry Bush, Carolina Buckthorn, a Prairie Goldenrod (that actually has white flowers when it’s blooming), Torrey’s Mountain Mint, Coralberry, and even infamous non-natives like Japanese Honeysuckle, Multiflora Rose, and Chinese Privet. It felt really good to get out and help to preserve this really special habitat. It might’ve been my first time visiting, but it definitely won’t be my last. Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning organizes efforts for maintaining the Oak Ridge Cedar Barrens three times a year – if you’re interested in stewardship of this park, make sure to check out TCWP’s website to get involved and keep an eye on their other events, like an upcoming wildflower walk that I’m personally excited for!
Written by: Jared Hoover