To conclude this year's Earth Month, Groundwork Hudson Valley is hosting an invasive vine workshop, and we would love for you to take part. Stakeholders along the Saw Mill River are invited to help develop a long-term action plan to eliminate the dangerous invasive vines that are destroying native habitat. These species are choking our ecosystem and compromising the health of our trees. Dying trees pose a threat to the adjacent parkway and trailway, the people that use them, and the river habitat that plants and animals depend on for their survival.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Community members, volunteers, students, Westchester County Parks Officials, NY State DOT officials, conservationists, ecologists, municipal leaders, local landscapers, and business owners. If everyone works a little towards solving the problem, we can achieve a lot.

SCHEDULE:

10-10:15am: Opening Remarks by Groundwork Hudson Valley & The Saw Mill River Coalition. Refreshments  provided.

10:15-11am: Tour of Farragut Avenue Restoration Site, Hastings-On-Hudson with Sven Hoeger, Ecologist and Landscape Designer.

• Briefing on the Saw Mill River ecosystem and how it effects our lives. Mr. Hoeger will lead a tour of the Saw Mill River Coalition's EPA Targeted Watershed restoration site where hundreds of volunteers have removed tons of invasive vines, planted hundreds of native trees, seeded a wildflower meadow, and conducted water quality and biodiversity studies. 

11-11:15am: Walk to Westchester Manor Hall, one block from restoration site.

11:15am-12:45pm: Speaker Series
New approaches to invasive plant management: Save money & peoplepower while saving local habitat. Light lunch served.

• Keynote: Ken Kleinpeter- Director of Farm and Facilities at Glynwood Institute, a foremost practitioner of strategic grazing using goats, including large scale projects targeting invasive species at Ward Pound Ridge and the Glynwood Institute.

• Robert DelTorto, BA SUNY Plattsburgh, Law Degree, Pace University, Member of the Board of Directors of The Bronx River Parkway Reservation Conservancy. Bob worked for Westchester County for 33 years, most notably as Head of Volunteers for the County. In that position he worked with over 300 volunteer groups on projects involving all of the County Parks. Many of these efforts centered around invasive vine removal.   

• Additional Speaker TBD 

12:45pm-1:30pm: Break-Out Session

• Local experts and resource professionals will lead a discussion among stakeholders about what you can do to maintain a safe and healthy habitat along the Saw Mill River and Parkway. Results will be used to draft long-term invasive plant management protocol and help administer on-going stewardship.

1:30-2pm: Discuss Results of Break-Out Session and Closing Remarks from Groundwork Hudson Valley