By 1808Delaware
Amur honeysuckle has found an enthusiastic opponent in Delaware County, and some members of the removal crew have four legs. Preservation Parks will hold Honeysuckle Hackfest on Saturday, November 7, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Deer Haven Park. The all-ages event combines invasive-plant removal, demonstrations, family activities, and a playful contest between living goats and human “GOATs,” the park district’s name for its volunteers, arborists, and supporters.
Registration is open through November 6 on the official event page.
Why Honeysuckle Is On The List
The event targets Amur honeysuckle, an invasive shrub that Preservation Parks says threatens local natural areas. Removing it creates space for a longer restoration process. The park district plans an Earth Day event in April 2027 to install native plants where honeysuckle has been cleared.
That sequence matters. Hackfest is not simply a day for cutting brush. It is the first part of replacing an aggressive nonnative plant with vegetation better suited to the park’s ecosystem.
Visitors who want to address honeysuckle at home can watch live demonstrations and learn removal techniques. Professional tree trimmers will handle some of the larger work with heavy machinery.
What Volunteers Will Do
The volunteer work session runs from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Participants should arrive by 9:45 AM for a briefing before entering the work area. Using hand tools, volunteers will remove honeysuckle and drag cut material from the woods. The plant material will then be mulched and composted.
The park district asks volunteers to register in advance. Anyone who wants a requested T-shirt size should submit that information by October 1.
The goats supply a different form of vegetation control by browsing the plants. Their presence also offers an approachable way to explain why land managers sometimes combine human labor, machinery, and animals when working on invasive growth.
Start At Havener Park
Event parking will be at Havener Park, not Deer Haven. Shuttles will carry participants between the parking area and the work site. Deer Haven Park is at 4183 Liberty Road, Delaware, while Havener Park is nearby at 4085 Liberty Road. Prospective participants should review the park district’s instructions before arriving because volunteer access and active machinery will shape movement around the site. People who cannot take part in the physical work may support the project through a donation link on the event page. Those who do join the removal crew will see the result in two stages: a more open woodland in November and new native growth planned for the following spring.
