Our three-part At Home Restoration Series will give urban and suburban residents the skills they need to successfully restore their yard, neighborhood forest, or nearby park space. Program participants will learn why invasive plants are a problem, how to go about removing them from their project site, and how to develop a plan that will lead to long-term success.

This series is targeted at small-scale restoration efforts, generally 5 acres or less, but the skills learned can be applied to larger projects. Each class will last approximately 1 hour with time for questions at the end.

Class 2: Understanding the Enemy & Adopting a Plan of Attack

Successful restoration projects rely on an understanding of your site and the “enemies” or invasive plants present. Each invasive plant has its own growth habits, means of reproducing, and ecological advantages. During this class, we will:

• Take a deeper look at some of SW Ohio’s most common invasive plants to better understand what makes them so problematic and what is the most effective way to remove them

• Look at some common native look-a-likes that you should watch out for during your restoration efforts

• Explore a variety of removal techniques and when it’s appropriate to use one removal method over another

Presenter: Kevin Ptacek – Project Manager for Davey Resource Group, ISA Certified Arborist, & SW Ohio President for the Society of Ecological Restoration

Cost: $15 for one class / $40 for the entire series. Classes can be taken individually, but it is highly recommended to take the full series as each class will build on knowledge learned from the previous class. Active volunteers can take this series for free.