Help keep Mary Knoll Park free of garlic mustard

Public Forum:

Persistence is what it takes to control garlic mustard. We invite you once again to join my family, Brookfield's Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, Boy and Cub Scout Troop/Pack 23, the Brookfield Central Key Club, friends and neighbors for an enjoyable morning at Brookfield's seventh annual garlic mustard weed-out in Mary Knoll Park from 9 a.m. to noon May 7, rain or shine. Garlic mustard education will be provided.

Volunteers of all ages can help. If you can't come for the full three hours, come for an hour. Garlic mustard is easy to pull, so you don't need to be physically strong or particularly fit. There aren't any mosquitoes yet, either. Past participants have commented on how surprisingly enjoyable it was to work in the park with birds chirping and spring wildflowers in bloom. Others have commented on how they realized they had garlic mustard in their yards and promptly removed it.

Garlic mustard is an extremely aggressive weed introduced by early East Coast settlers for its alleged medicinal qualities and for cooking. It has no natural competitors here and has spread rapidly in our community. Removing it helps our native plants and the animals, birds and insects that depend on them for food and shelter. My family has been pulling garlic mustard at Mary Knoll Park since 1997 and has been encouraged by volunteers who have joined us at previous weed-outs. Please join us this year on May 7 to help keep Mary Knoll Park beautiful and diverse.

Bags will be provided and volunteers are encouraged to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, sturdy shoes and gloves, and to bring a water bottle. Mary Knoll Park is located at 615 S. Sunny Slope Road. Please call (262) 796-6675 to volunteer. Registration is not mandatory, but gives us an idea of how many volunteers to expect. We hope to see you for a nice morning in the park.

Patty Gerner

Brookfield