This small wooded area is home to at least 25 native tree species and native shrubs including azalea, blackhaw viburnum, and Vaccinium species. During our work we sometimes uncover native perrenials struggling to survive. These plants support the local wildlife as well as migrating birds and serve as an effective sponge for rainwater. We have made progress, but there is still much to do. Please consider joining us. The next work day is scheduled for Thursday, December 15th 10 a.m. to noon.
Reedy Creek Coalition members continue to work on removing invasive species in Crooked Branch Ravine Park. Sheep have cleared an area that was heavily impacted and now the follow-up begins. That includes removing vines the ground, removbing ivy from trees and monitoring for other non-native species that might return.
If you are intersted in helping please contact us with the most conveneint times of the day and week for you. We will try to schedule work days for times that are convenient for most people.
https://reedycreekcoalition.org/contact-us/
Our next 2 workdays are scheduled for Sunday, December 4 from 1 to 3 p.m. and Thursday December 15 from 10 – 12 a.m.
Reedy Creek Coalition will have our first work day at the Northrop Street entrance to Crooked Branch Ravine Park on Sunday, October 16 from 1-3 p.m. and we are looking for volunteers to help us return this area to a more natural state. We will be
Please bring your own tools for removing ivy vines, gloves, and water. Though we have not noticed poison in this area dress accordingly just in case. Please contact us if you have questions. https://reedycreekcoalition.org/contact-us/
Many thanks to RVA Goats and Honey for getting us off to a great start,
The entrance to Crooked Bransh Ravine Park at the end of Northrop Street has been overtaken by a variety of invasive, non-native plants. This happened quickly, is now more that we can manage and so we have called for HELP! This week-end a small herd of sheep from RVA Goats and Honey will be chomping away at that aweful jungle so that we can begin to get some control of the area and let the native plants grow.
The sheep will arrive late Friday morning and leave early Sunday morning,
See the sheep at work.
Get help with invasive plant ID. Have a question about something in your yard? Bring a sample or snap a picture.
A short, guided walk through the woods and down to the creek.
Plus the opportunity to see our lending libary and perhaps go home with a good book.
There really is no such thing as a bad plant. These plants (English ivy, privet, Japanese honeysuckle and others) just do not belong here!
Eager – The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter
This is what one of our readers has to say about the book…
“Eager Beaver is a book that was recommended by a Reedy Creek Coalition member at the invasive ivy removal workday in January. She was right, the book reads more like a story than an academic study of the ecological importance of the habit building effects of beaver dams and poses the dilemma of how to effectively balance that benefit with the often times destructive effect on human creations like culverts and bridges/roads. The kind of book you’d likely never come across if not recommended…I’m glad it was.”
To borrow a book enter the name of the book at this link. https://reedycreekcoalition.org/contact-us/ Please allow a day or two for a response which will come to your e-mail.
Have you been looking at the bees and other pollinators buzzing about in your garden and want to learn more? Concerned about the decline in insects? Our book, Pollinators of Native Plants, may interest you.
We also have a booklet, Bee Basics – An Introduction to Native Bees, which covers the most common groups of native bees, how they nest and how different bees species use different types of plants. This is also available as a PDF.
To borrow a book enter the name of the book at this link. https://reedycreekcoalition.org/contact-us/ Please allow a day or two for a response which will come to your e-mail.
Crooked Branch Ravine Park receives about 480,000 gallons of water during a 1 inch rain event and acts like a sponge, soaking up rain water, keeping much of it where it falls. Tree leaves, bark and roots, along with the understory plants and leaf litter on the ground, make this possible.
English ivy and other non-native invasive plants will threaten the tree canopy and, over time and, as trees no longer thrive, the ability to retain rain will be limited. Important habitat for critters will be lost, more sediment goes into the water, and there will be more flooding events down stream. Think of the potential for flooding at Dunston Avenue near the Reedy Creek and in Forest Hill Park. Our efforts now will have many benefits in the future.
Crooked Branch Ravine Park is a hidden gem above Reedy Creek not far from Forest Hill Park. At just 18 wooded acres, it presents a unique opportunity for ecological restoration through releasing its potential from the grips of dominant invasive vine and shrub species. The current priority is removing non-native, invasive plant species.
This is important work. We would appreciate your help.
Questions? Let us know. https://reedycreekcoalition.org/contact-us/
Please join us for as we work to return this little park to a more natural state by removing English ivy, Japanese honeysuckle, privet and other non-native invasive plants. We will also cut the ivy at the base of trees. It’s a small but improtant part of our neighborhood, a sponge for rain, tree canopy for cooling and habitat for many.
Questions? Let us know. https://reedycreekcoalition.org/contact-us/
Here are some of the flora you could find in this little park…
Reedy Creek Coalition 