Mutton Hollow Meadow Magic

Join fun-loving PATC trail and land stewards on a conservation project at the historic Mutton Hollow meadow, near Shenandoah National Park. PATC volunteers planted a native wildflower seed mix in the reclaimed meadow in a multi-year restoration initiative supported by USDA. We will continue removing invasive plants threatening the emerging native plants.

You will learn how to identify, treat, and manage many invasive plant species. Volunteer leaders -- trained by the Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) -- will lead teams to target particular plant species in and around the meadow. No experience necessary; we will train! Some volunteers will use herbicide in squirt bottles or sprayers; some will ID and pull plants by hand; others will cut vegetation. Many options available to suit your preferences.

You will take away a new appreciation for the dire threats posed by invasive plants and the clever methods of eradicating them. And you will help restore health to a beautiful meadow that now hosts pollinators and newly thriving wildlife populations.

Enjoy lunch together on the shady porch of the Vining Cabin overlooking the meadow. Bring lunch, 3 liters of water, work gloves, a hat, and full-length, thorn-resistant clothing, and eye protection.

Meet at the end of Mattie's Run Road, SR 635 (off Mutton Hollow Road, between 33 and 810). If you have a high-clearance vehicle, you can drive past the barns, ford the stream, to the meadow. If not, park at the end-State-Maintenance sign, or go through the gate to a small parking area 40 yards beyond that gate, and walk in following the road. Contact me for carpool and parking help.