Who is the Ivy League?
The Ivy League is a community-driven initiative to remove invasive plants and restore the natural balance of our local ecosystem. The group comes together as stewards of the land, working towards a greener, more harmonious environment. The group is led by Wood Village Parks Commissioner Christine Bierman.
Founded in 2024, the Ivy League started removing ivy on mature trees, mostly Cottonwoods and coniferous trees in the natural area at the back of the park. The group removes ivy using hands, pruners, and loppers and by cutting the ivy off at the base near the tree to create an ivy-free zone around the tree. It’s amazing how soon even the ivy remaining on the tree out of our reach soon withers and dies after doing this work.
Why is it important to remove invasive ivy?
English ivy is an invasive plant that threatens tree vitality and native habitats. Ivy can prevent trees from receiving essential nutrients from sunlight and precipitation to grow and survive. Most of the mature trees in the wooded section of the park are struggling under a heavy cover of ivy. At the ground level, the ivy is slowly taking over other native species; nothing grows or lives under the ivy. Removing the ivy will help the trees to become healthy once again and provide habitat and protection for a variety of birds and small mammals. In addition, the trees will become more resilient against fire and the effects of climate change.
