City Editor Ben here. Some things are incredibly satisfying to me. Getting home from a trip to a clean house. Swishing a jump shot from behind the arc.
Now, I can add pulling English ivy off trees to that list. It’s simply... di-vine.
To pick up what I’m putting down, you can join Portland Parks & Recreation’s upcoming No Ivy Day (Sat., Oct. 29), when volunteers across the city will help to remove the invasive plant from our parks and natural areas.
Recently, I spent a couple of hours with a crew working in Marquam Nature Park to clear the climbers from the trees by employing the “girdle” process. We used loppers to cut the ivy at its base and overhead, clearing a ring around each tree.
If left unchecked, ivy vines can grow to be as thick as your arm, adding extra weight and stress to the native trees while disturbing the surrounding ecosystem.
Volunteer groups meet in Marquam Nature Park every second Wednesday and last Saturday of the month — but there are plenty of other events going on across the city almost daily.
And remember, there are never any rejection letters from the (No) Ivy League.
