There is an area on the eastern side of the Highlands apartment complex, between the two main buildings at the top of the Hilltop’s eastern slope …. we targeted it last summer as being seriously infested with porcelain-berry vine. After we sprayed the porcelain-berry, we started cutting and clearing to uncover any remaining natives.
By the end of 2022 we had only found one sycamore, one red mulberry and four rather scraggly boxelder trees under that entire mess — everything else had either been smothered or succumbed to disease (e.g., ash yellows). However, think of this as an opportunity — we now have a ready-to-go site for planting native trees, and can start restoring the forest canopy in that area. See photos below.
This spring, we will be planting 40+ native tree saplings in this exact same spot — we have the supplies, but we’ll need your help. Look for our event announcements in April, and please contact the Hilltop Conservancy officers for more information. We’re very excited at the opportunity to restore more healthy forest to the Hilltop — thank you for your support!
