6.1.2024: Hurrah for another valiant work party in the Lake Mansfield Forest! (Photos: S. Siter, C. Ward)

A parade of volunteers pitched at our June 1st Lake Mansfield Conservation Forest work party

After a quick lesson on identifying poison ivy and nettles, volunteers got right to work to remove invasive plants that crowd out native plants.

The team scoured trail edges for garlic mustard, narrow-leaved bitter-cress, and burning bush in the ferny glade before the big boulder.

Invasive plants are specially adapted to leafing out early and each plant produces hundreds of seeds, each time we remove even one, we are making a difference!

Learning how to recognize and identify native plants and invasive plants helps build our skills and confidence.

Teaming up to loosen stubburn roots makes the work easier.

Teaming up to gather pulled plants helped us to work quickly and effeciently!

We stockpiled detrimental plants to be removed by volunteers and Greenagers in July when access by the beach area parking lot will once again be possible.

It's amazing how much a volunteer team can accomplish in a short time!

An intrepid band of volunteers also rounded up burning bush in another target area.

Armed with saws and determination, they are working to open up an invasive-choked area along a western section of the loop trail.

Burning bush also known as winged euonymus, once a landscape plant, is no longer sold in Massachusettes. It produced multitudes of wee red berries that are gobbled up by birds and distributed in native woodlands.

Native ferns and flowering plants will benefit from the resulting increase in sunlight that becomes available.

2024 06 01 A work party of volunteers pitched in to help free the Lake Mansfield Forest of Invasive Plants.

Photos by Sharon Siter

Sep 3	2025 Walk for Conservation - Sunday, October 12th, 2025 - Register Today!
Jun 18	Berkshire Edge: Great Barrington Land Conservancy fundraiser celebrates Lake Mansfield improvements and community collaboration
May 17	Community Volunteers plant more Trees and Shrubs at Lake Mansfield!
May 6	The Lake Mansfield Spring 2025 Newsletter is here!

6.1.2024: Hurrah for another valiant work party in the Lake Mansfield Forest! (Photos: S. Siter, C. Ward)

Walk for Conservation Fundraiser

Join us Sunday, October 12 for the 1st Annual GBLC Champions Walk for Conservation!

GBLC - Newsletter - 2022

Lake Mansfield - Newsletter - 2025