Volunteers, Master Gardeners and City Staff Coordinate on English‑ivy and Park Tree Cleanup

Residents and volunteers at the town hall urged the city to act more quickly to remove English‑ivy and fallen trees on museum property and other parks.

Zack Murphy, a frequent volunteer and community gardener, said the volunteer group had been removing ivy around tree bases and would next target the museum property and the farmer’s market area, where they have observed spotted lanternflies under ivy. “We started a whole garden. We started a subcommittee to take care of the stuff that you guys wouldn't pay for,” Murphy said, and described volunteer work to cut ivy at the base of trees.

A Master Gardener and other residents noted the scale of the problem, saying English‑ivy can decimate native tree stands if not controlled. City staff told residents the city arborist is aware and that some cleanup has taken place; staff offered to connect volunteers with the arborist and to coordinate further removal and assessment. A city staff member also suggested Earth Day volunteer groups that could be mobilized for additional site work.

Council members praised volunteer efforts and asked staff to provide an assessment of park areas most at risk from invasive ivy, and to coordinate with Prince William County Master Gardeners who already run outreach and removal programs. No new funding commitments were made at the town hall; the discussion focused on coordination and volunteer support.

Volunteers said they will continue removals at the museum property, the farmers market and Winterset Park and asked for clearer lines of communication with city arborists and staff.