Volunteers pull weeds at Ijams Weed Wrangle. Image courtesy of Ijams |
KNOXVILLE - One of the biggest “pull” parties of the year needs YOU to help restore East Tennessee’s native landscapes.
Ijams Nature Center is looking for 100 volunteers to remove invasive species at the fifth annual Weed Wrangle Knoxville® Saturday, Feb. 29, from 9 a.m. to noon.
“Invasive plant removal is vital to protecting natural ecosystems,” Ijams Natural Resource Manager Ben Nanny said. “The work can be labor intensive, but it’s incredibly rewarding because you’re helping to create habitat to support the wildlife that makes Knox County — and East Tennessee — so special.”
Weed Wrangle Knoxville will focus on five sites this year including Lakeshore Park, Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, Fort Dickerson, East Knox County Elementary and Ijams Nature Center.
Preregistration is required; sites will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline to register is Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m.
Weed Wrangle Knoxville is part of Ijams Nature Center’s 2020 Take Action! Big and Small Ways to Save the Planet, which runs Feb. 14-March 15. Sponsored by WUTK 90.3 The Rock and Mast General Store, the four-week series focuses on the many different ways individuals can have a positive impact on the planet. A schedule of events is available on the Ijams website.
Ijams Nature Center is a nonprofit, 315-acre educational nature center for all ages, abilities and walks of life. Ijams’ mission is to encourage stewardship of the natural world by providing an urban green space for people to learn about and enjoy the outdoors through engaging experiences. Located just three miles from downtown Knoxville, Ijams features 12 miles of hiking and mixed-use trails, a public access river dock, swimming, boating, biking and more. The center offers hundreds of educational programs annually, from school field trips and off-site programs to on-site outdoor and classroom education programs that focus on topics from birding and wildflowers to yoga hikes, cooking classes and art programs. The Ijams grounds and trails are open every day from 8 a.m. until dusk. The Visitor Center is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
