Clearing Out Invasive Sword Ferns: A Community Cleanup at HCC Plant City Campus

On April 17th, a group of volunteers gathered at Hillsborough Community College's Plant City campus for a simple yet impactful mission: removing invasive sword ferns. Led by the Take MAR Team, along with Dr. Peter Sleszynski from HCC's Environmental Program and Will Moriaty, board member of TREE, these volunteers came together to tackle a pesky problem.

Invasive sword ferns might look harmless, yet they're anything but. With their striking resemblance to native ferns and their knack for taking over, these plants can quickly overrun an area, crowding out other plants and disrupting the natural balance.

The volunteers wasted no time getting to work. Armed with gloves, shovels and rakes, they set about pulling up the invasive ferns and stacking them up to be disposed of properly. Their efforts paid off. By the end of the day, a whopping 3400 pounds of invasive species had been cleared from the area. With each fern removed, the ground was left open and ready for something new.

And something new did come. Just a little over a week later, Sila Realty planted 63 native trees in the freshly cleared space, breathing new life into the area and restoring its natural beauty.

Thanks to the hard work of Dr. Sleszynski, Will Moriaty, the Take MAR Team, and all the volunteers who pitched in, a small corner of the world is now a little bit cleaner and greener. It's proof that when communities come together, even the smallest actions can make a big difference in preserving our environment.