What's Under All The Weeds? A Pond

Albert V. Short President, Harmony Ponds

The morning volunteer crew came ready with clippers and shovels. Photos courtesy of Susan McElhinney, NWF

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) realized they needed help with their large water feature which consisted of a 20,000-gallon lower pond, a long circuitous stream, a more than 30-foot high waterfall, and lots of huge boulders. The cattail plants that NWF had planted in the lower pond started to cover the open water and willow trees encroached on the upper pond. Fortunately, landscape contractors, Butch Whitten, Steve Chapman, David Bockman and Harmony Ponds President Albert Short stepped in to revitalize the water feature as a pro-bono project.

Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the NWF, asked Short to work with the NWF staff to organize a pond renewal day that combined the efforts of community members who were all united in the goal of bringing the long-neglected pond back to life. The NWF staff produced a ''Wanted Poster'' to help energize their staff to volunteer, and it worked to produce the 40-plus NWF volunteers that showed up on Pond Day, October 21st.

After: The NWF staff admires their pond after the clean up.

Whitten of Lost Creek Landscapes, Chapman of KCS Landscape Management, Bockman of GreenEyedDesign worked with Short to organize plant identification with John Magee, of GreenWorks Landscaping, Inc.

The day prior to the pro bono event, water from the pond was pumped into holding tanks. Volunteers attacked the cattails, swamp willows and just plain weeds, which had taken over the stream and pond basin. Under the guidance of the professional landscapers and their staff, NWF volunteers worked in two shifts, one in the morning and another in the afternoon.

The Volunteers

Magee had tagged the trees and shrubs to be either left alone, trimmed back or removed just to insure that overzealous volunteers did not cut down everything growing on the site.

Kevin Herb of IDS, a construction waste recycling company, was called upon to provide a 40-foot container and Loudon Composting to turn the more than 40 cubic yards of plant debris into compost. Cleaning up the pond was an arduous and sometimes dirty task, but everyone was into the spirit of the day and had a few laughs along with providing valuable assistance to the NWF.

Before: Here's the pond over run with cattails, swamp willows and other types of weeds.

Aquatic Habitat Restored

Ms. Jamie Matyas, NWF's Chief Operating Officer, who also pitched in with the volunteers, could not believe the transformation that had occurred in a few short hours. The project went from an overgrown and invisible water feature to a wonderful visual entry for the NWF building. The NWF president summed it up: ''Because of your contribution our visitors will once again have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the aquatic habitat you helped restore.''