Missouri Conservation Corps has hosted two invasive species removal events in Columbia’s Garth Nature Area this year. During these events, our teams of volunteers cut and removed invasive honeysuckle in two areas of this 52-acre park. Our first event focused on honeysuckle removal along the trail spur that connects Garth Nature Area to the Bear Creek Trail, a five-mile-long trail that runs from Cosmo Park on the west side, to Albert Oakland Park on the east. Our volunteers braved the 85-degree heat of an early spring day to cut, pull, and remove honeysuckle along the trail, discovering evidence of recent beaver activity while we worked, and finding much less honeysuckle to cut this year than we found during the previous year. We also hosted our first long-distance volunteer of 2026… Courtney took a day off work and traveled 130 miles from Kansas City to come and join us for an afternoon of sunshine, volunteer work, and habitat restoration in Garth Nature Area.
Our second event in Garth Nature Area this year took place on a much cooler spring morning with a large group of volunteers. This time we met on the south side of the park to cut some very established honeysuckle along the edge of Bear Creek. Our team of volunteers included Missouri Master Naturalists, community volunteers, educators on spring break, and an enthusiastic group of Youth Build students from Job Point. We cut and removed honeysuckle between a park trail and a beautiful and scenic stretch of Boone County’s Bear Creek. We used a variety of tools and methods for removal, including hand saws, loppers, Rogue hoes, and of course hand-pulling. Several volunteers vied for the coveted distinction of cutting the largest honeysuckle in the park, and we have a few photos of the contestants and their honeysuckle trophies.
