Lakeview Avenue Greenspace
Once taken over by dense mats of English ivy, an invasive vine, the Lakeview Avenue parcel has since gotten a new life thanks to the 300 Committee's stewardship volunteers and AmeriCorps members. Last November, the 300 Committee hosted its first work day to begin the daunting task of clearing the thick ropes of English ivy from the property which is located off of Route 28 (Palmer Ave) behind Falmouth Physical Theraphy. Volunteers used loppers, pruners, shovels, rakes, and other tools to get the job done. Since then, our stewardship volunteers have participated in several work days to transform the parcel from a neglected lot into a community greenspace for the neighbors (and anyone else) to enjoy.
In the spring after volunteers had removed most of the ivy, the 300 Committee hosted a service day with members of AmeriCorps Cape Cod to sheet mulch the cleared areas. AmeriCorps Cape Cod is a local service organization that recruits young people who are interested in environmental conservation, stewardship, community outreach, and nature-based education to assist non-profit organizations and town conservation departments with important projects. Sheet mulching is a technique that involves placing cardboard and woodchips on top of soil to prevent the growth or regrowth of weeds. This first sheet mulching project at Lakeview serves as an experiment to see if the ivy will grow back or not. Hopefully, the cardboard and wood chips will be enough to prevent the vines from rearing their ugly heads.
If you drive by Lakeview Avenue, you may also notice a new Aldo Leopold bench painted with ivy vines. The bench gets its name from its design, as it resembles a bench that Aldo Leopold, the celebrated scientist and conservationist, might have sat in while observing the world around him. Bob Laquidara (T3C Stewardship volunteer) and Grace Vachon (a TerraCorps member) collaborated to make both the bench, using our our newly-outfitted carpentry shop. Future plans for the property include planting native shrubs to attract pollinators, as well as continued monitoring and removal of the English ivy.
If you live locally, feel free to check out Lakeview Avenue to see the improvements we have made. Also, if you are interested in volunteering for future stewardship work days, please visit our Steward the Land page to learn more and sign up.