2008 Report for Crossroads

Year

2008

Number of volunteers

17

Total volunteer hours

80

Number of trees planted

3

Enter more details about trees planted

containerized cedar

Enter more details about shrubs planted

3 hummingbird clethra, 5 ruby spice clethra, 5 yellow twig dogwood, 6 bayberry, 3 multistem amalankear, 7 pussywillow, 4 itea, 2 witch hazel, 1 potentilla

Yards mulch spread

1.50

Summary

The native shrubs along the West River on East Ramsdell street, now have a fighting chance to make a comeback against invasive Japanese knotweed, thanks to the planting efforts of the Crossroads Inc. planting group. Crossroads, Inc. is a residential substance abuse treatment center that is an alternative to incarceration for individuals charged with drug offenses. Crossroads first began working with the Greenspace Program in 2001, and the Crossroads group has planted several trees and perennials along East Ramsdell, Valley, South Genesee and Harper Streets. Last years group focused on planting trees along the banks of the West River, adjacent to the East Ramsdell public basketball courts which are used by community members and Crossroads residents. This years plantings focused on the environmental restoration of the banks of the west river, next to the basketball courts. This area was infested with an impenetrable mass of Japanese knotweed about 6-10 feet tall. The Crossroads group cleared out the knotweed -- a Herculean task performed in the height of the afternoon sun -- and replaced it with native shrubs and trees along the river bank.