Good samaritan shares before-and-after photos of vital forest project: 'Nice job'

One Redditor is making the most of their unemployment situation. They're helping the local environment with "some renegade honeysuckle removal." The two photos in their post are before-and-after shots of their handiwork.

These photos, taken near Natural Grocers in Independence, Missouri, are a perfect example of how an invasive species can take over. In the second photo, you can see many trees and bushes that were not visible in the first. The OP picked this spot because they saw a "pawpaw patch getting choked out."

By making good use of their time, the Redditor helped the local plants in the area survive. Honeysuckle is one of the most invasive plants, as it can shade out tree seedlings and is attractive to some pollinators. It can be difficult to remove this species because of its deep root systems, so it's best to act fast.

Pulling out invasive plants is the first step in rewilding any green space. You can cut them down to the ground, too, or utilize solarization — a process wherein you cover the plant with a plastic tarp that traps heat from the sun. From there, find seeds local to your area and start planting them. Consider companion planting and ground cover that prevents erosion and weeds, such as wild ginger, clover, wild strawberry, or golden ragwort. 

Native plants are good for the environment since they need less water and have strong and deep root systems. They don't require fertilizer either, making it easy to eliminate contaminated water runoff. Pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds will find their way to any space featuring native plants and naturally fertilize them as part of the planet's food chain process.

"Start an invasive removal company!" one commenter suggested. After the OP mentioned a lack of money to do so, someone else said, "Advertise on Craigslist to a Google phone, which forwards to your phone." They could also use the photos in their post to showcase their work.

"Nice job! Thank you for your hard work!" another user wrote.

Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely 💯 It depends on the species 🤔 I don't know 🤷 No — leave nature alone 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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