SGR to participate in creek cleanup

Students for Global Responsibility (SGR) is organizing a group of students to help Friends of Sligo Creek remove invasive vines from Sligo Creek Park tomorrow, Oct. 27. The club will meet in the SAC at 2:20 p.m. and 3:10 p.m. and will provide transportation to the park.

Friends of Sligo Creek is an organization comprised of community residents living near Sligo Creek Park. Their mission is to restore the well being of the creek and its surroundings. This includes improving the water quality and restoring native fauna. "We are working to improve the water quality, lessen excessive water after storms, reduce litter, and, our biggest job this year, to save the trees and keep native plants that have always grown in Sligo," says Lea Bonfiglio, a project coordinator.

The organization's current project is called the "Removing Invasive Plants Project." The plan focuses on removing species of invasive vines from the creek's plant population to allow breathing room for native vegetation. The project also reaches out to the community, promoting awareness of the negative effects invasive plant species have on surrounding flora.

One of the most damaging vines is kudzu, a prolific, fast-growing plant that blocks sunlight from and kills surrounding plants. It not only harms other plant life but also affects the animal population, destroying many species' food sources.

Friends of Sligo Creek will be holding regular cleanup sessions on Saturdays throughout the park. For information regarding the schedule and the different section teams for the cleanup, visit their web site.

People who wish to participate in the cleanup are advised to wear gloves, long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Friends of Sligo Creek will provide all necessary gardening and weeding tools.