Et cetera : NCCC Cedar 6 leaving its mark on Madison\'s Arborteum

Cedar Six member removing invasive plants

NCCC members inform volunteers in Madison about NCCC and other AmeriCorps opportunities

Cedar Six member restores Native Plant Garden

By: Cedar Six

AmeriCorps NCCC team Cedar six joins forces with the volunteers and staff of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum in the beautiful college town of Madison, Wis. The Arboretum covers 1,200 acres within Madison.

The team arrived March 12 and immediately began work on the restoration of the grounds. The work consists of fire preparation of Prairies, brush clearing, data entry, seed cleaning and planting, road development, tree planting, mulching, transplanting of native plants, and the removal of weeds in the Lilac area of the Longenecker garden. To date the team has cleared over 30,000 square feet of brush, created 4 prairie paths for controlled burnings and removed over 525lbs of invasive plants.

The team also worked with a local AmeriCorps Vista team for Global Youth Service Day at Lafollette High School in Madison designing bags for Meals on Wheels and washing the windows of homes owned by the elderly. “It was an honor to work the community, and this experience will stick with us for years to come.” said team member Sara Butler.

While staying in Madison the team has volunteered at multiple locations, such as the Henry Villas Zoo, Olbrich Botanical Gardens and The Spring Sprint for the Arboretum. Cedar six also held a community day at the Arboretum for Earth Day providing outreach and giving the community a peek into the daily routine of the team. The team is currently preparing for their work to begin at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Southwest Wisconsin and Habitat for Humanity