BIRTHDAY RE-VEGETATION CELEBRATION

Founding group member Mikal decided to celebrate his eight birthday with a re-vegetation project at Papago Park. Mikal is so enthusiastic about re-vegetation projects, that he asked for a pickax for his birthday present, which came in very handy for this project! City of Phoenix Park rangers instructed Mikal and about 25 group members in the removal of invasive buffelgrass. Because competition for water can weaken and kill desert plants, buffelgrass crowds out these plants and also can fuel frequent and devastating fires in what has been otherwise a generally fireproof desert. It was hard work in hot temperatures, but when we were done, there were bags full of these invasive weeds, and native cacti in their places that the group planted. In Mikal’s words: “I picked the re-vegetation project for my birthday because I like to plant and dig. I’ve been to re-vegetation projects before at Papago Park, Lost Dog Wash Trail, and Pinnacle Peak Park, and I hope that I can do it again on my next birthday.” We wrapped up the celebration with pizza provided by Streets of New York and cake.

RE-VEGETATION AT PAPAGO PARK

REI sponsored this event as part of an ongoing revegetation project at Papago Park in Phoenix. It was a cold morning, but we warmed up quickly digging holes for bushes, trees, and cacti, and planting them in the ground with a mixture of soil and manure, then fetching buckets of water for them. The park rangers were awesome to work with, and REI fed us lunch and gave us volunteer shirts. Seven year old Mikal said before the event: “What I really like about revegetation projects is not only that we get to help the environment, but it’s DANGEROUS. We get to use tools, like picks, and work with cactus.”