Cleanup work planned Aug. 27 at Oak Ridge Cedar Barren

The Oak Ridger
·1 min read

The Oak Ridge Cedar Barren. located next to Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge, will be the center of activity on Saturday, Aug. 27. Volunteers are needed to help eliminate shade producing plants and to enjoy the prairie wildflowers the barren is famous for, according to a Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning news release.

Snow covers the ground and dusts the trees at the Cedar Barrens in Oak Ridge.
Snow covers the ground and dusts the trees at the Cedar Barrens in Oak Ridge.

One of a few cedar barrens in East Tennessee, the Oak Ridge Barren is subject to invasion by Chinese lespedeza, Japanese privet, autumn olive, mimosa, Nepal grass, multiflora rose, and woody plants. These shady-producing plants threaten the system’s prairie grasses by decreasing the sun they need.

The barren is a joint project of the city of Oak Ridge, the State Natural Areas Division, and TCWP, event sponsor.

Volunteers should meet in the Jefferson Middle School parking lot at 9 a.m.; wear sturdy shoes, and bring loppers, gloves, and water.  For additional information, contact Tim Bigelow at Bigelowt2@mindspring.com or at (865) 607-6781.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Cleanup work planned Aug. 27 at Oak Ridge Cedar Barren