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Colmar Manor Green Team seeks town funding to restore 'El Bosquecito' pocket woodland
Summary
Volunteers described removing invasive plants and trash from a small woods dubbed 'El Bosquecito' and asked the council to consider budget support for slope stabilization, tools and plants; nonprofit partners have provided permits and in‑kind labor.
Members of Colmar Manor’s Green Team told the council on Jan. 20 about a volunteer restoration project called El Bosquecito, a small patch of woods at 39th and Lawrence that volunteers have cleared of invasive bush honeysuckle and trash over several work days.
Sal Messina, a Green Team volunteer, and a presenter identified as Sito described multiple volunteer events over the past year that produced visible before-and-after improvements. They said partners including the Community Native Plant Project (CNPP) and Joe’s Greenworks have provided technical help, helped secure a work permit from Prince George’s Parks and Planning, and contributed substantial labor and materials on comparable projects. CNPP’s past work on similar sites was described as involving tens of thousands of dollars of labor and several thousand dollars for plants in other locales.
The presenters asked the council to consider including some funding for El Bosquecito in the town budget this year to cover slope stabilization (a safety concern cited by presenters), tools, trees and shrubs. They outlined a starting budget and said they will also pursue grants and outside funding. The Green Team announced a work day Feb. 21 and described the project as a community-building effort that draws volunteers from the town and nearby neighborhoods.
Council members responded with thanks and encouragement and several said they had personally participated or planned to attend future work days. The mayor encouraged residents to join the Feb. 21 work date and noted town staff will consider the budget request as part of the regular process.
What happens next: The Green Team will pursue grant opportunities and the council will consider any formal budget request during the regular budget process; staff indicated CNPP has already assisted with permitting and may support slope stabilization work.
