Weed It Wednesday: Students get involved in UMD’s ‘living campus’
By: Maya Hand
Student volunteers and staff clipped and sawed shrubs in one of the University of Maryland’s stormwater management sites on a rainy Wednesday in early March.
This was the first Weed It Wednesday, a community activity UMD’s Arboretum & Botanical Garden started this semester, set to occur on select Wednesdays through April.
During this Weed It Wednesday, participants targeted Amur honeysuckle, an invasive species in Maryland.
“We wanted a midweek opportunity for students to come out and enjoy our living campus and also be part of our volunteer events, give back to the campus, meet some other people and do some good here,” said Meg Smolinski, the Arboretum & Botanical Garden’s outreach coordinator.
Hong Le, a senior agronomy major who volunteered that day, said she is trying to do as many activities as she can before graduating.
Le said she enjoys working outside and doing things with soil. She hopes to someday have her own farm. She said the experience of harvesting the vegetables she grows “is so awesome.”
Le appreciates activities like Weed It Wednesday because they encourage her to get some exercise, she said.
In addition to invasive plant removal, future Weed It Wednesdays might include spreading mulch in garden beds and assisting in planting projects, Smolinski said. The campus has 30 gardens, including the Community Learning Garden, which is UMD’s largest food garden and offers volunteer hours.
The Arboretum & Botanical Garden also hosts Flower Power Hour on Fridays from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and Weed Warriors on Campus on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
During Flower Power Hour, volunteers participate in campus conservation efforts by weeding, planting and removing invasive species. Weed Warriors on Campus is dedicated to learning about and removing invasive species.
These and other volunteer opportunities are open to everyone and are listed on the Arboretum & Botanical Garden website.
Smolinski said she has received positive feedback about programming.
“I think a lot of students don't realize how many wooded areas are on our campus, how many hundreds of different bird species and insect species we support,” she said. “They also feel really good, you know, getting out, moving their bodies, enjoying some sunshine or some rain and learning more about our campus community.”