PORT ANGELES – English ivy has completely taken over the large slope behind Country Aire natural Foods in Port Angeles, and a local wilderness guide has taken it upon herself to organize a work party to remove it.

Carolyn Wilcox, owner of Experience Olympic in Port Angeles, has assembled a team that includes members of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe’s vegetation team and Peninsula Urban Forestry. But she’s still in need of more volunteers to help eradicate a plant that the State of Washington has listed as a Class C noxious weed and many consider a blight on the City of Port Angeles.

The date of the work party is Saturday, March 16 at 9:00am. The focus of the project begins at the pedestrian ramp built on the slope behind Country Aire.

Please bring weather-appropriate layers of clothing, heavy-soled shoes, leather gloves, pruners, loppers or small hand saws, hard rakes, and tarps for carrying ivy vines.

Thanks to the Lower Elwha vegetation team for donating native plants, Peninsula Urban Forestry for loaning their equipment, and Lazy J Tree Farm who has offered to compost some of the ivy.

As an aside, the Oak Street ramp area used to be one of the best locations to view the elusive Mountain Beaver. But Wilcox says last summer they deserted their burrows because there is no longer as much food available.