Two Ways to Get Involved

Become a Certified Weed Warrior Volunteer

Right now, we don’t have any Certified Weed Warrior Volunteer trainings scheduled. If you would like to be notified when Weed Warrior trainings commence, please email us at [email protected]. Until then, please join us at a public Group Weed Warrior Workday. See below for more information.

We know it’s tempting, but it’s against Mount Airy Parks rules and regulations to remove plant material from a park unless authorized. Once you’re a trained Weed Warrior Volunteer, you’ll be authorized to control non-native, invasive plants on Town Parkland without supervision.

Join a Group Weed Warrior Workday

Want to help without becoming a Certified Weed Warrior? We offer Group Weed Warrior Workdays throughout the year at parks across the county — no advanced training required. These NNI management one-day events are led by specially-trained volunteer Weed Warrior Supervisors and/or Parks staff and they’re a great way to start learning how to identify and remove NNIs!

Interested in joining a Group Weed Warrior Workday? 

What is a Non-native, Invasive Plant?

Most natural communities support a great variety of native plants and animals. Such biodiversity is threatened when a few plant species take over and dominate the herbaceous, shrub, or canopy layers of a forest.

Non-native, invasive plant species (NNIs) can alter the complex webs of plant-animal associations that have evolved over thousands of years to such a degree that plants and animals once familiar to us are eliminated. In meadows, for example, NNI monocultures can threaten butterfly populations because they can no longer find the native host plants they depend on for survival. In forests, NNI vines can strangle and smother trees. NNI shrubs can displace and shade out native plants that provide birds and other wildlife with food and shelter. Recent research has shown that NNIs can even alter soil chemistry and disrupt the growth of the mycorrhizal fungi on which healthy forests depend. In short, NNIs are causing significant changes in the composition, structure, and ecosystem function of our natural areas.

A typical NNI plant has some or all of the following characteristics:

• Grows fast and matures early.
• Spreads quickly over large areas.
• Thrives in many habitats.
• Reproduces profusely by seed and/or vegetative structures.
• Survives and produces seeds under adverse environmental conditions.
• Has few known diseases or pests.

By their very nature, NNIs are difficult to control. Often it requires a mix of mechanical, chemical, and hand removal efforts to be successful. The key is to find NNI populations when they are small and remove them before they become established.