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Re-establishing Native Plants 

The Seedling Project is Launched in February

FOBP has begun a multi-year effort to re-establish native plants in the park.  We have spread seeds in various locations where invasive plants once created monocultures.  The goal is to prevent soil erosion while incresing biodiversity and creating habitat for wildlife.   We expect the full bounty of colors and flowers in 2024, but look for some Black-Eyed Susans and Partridge Pea blooming yellow this spring and summer. 
"What an amazing group of people!  We finished in two days what we thought would take four!  After two years of working to remove invasive plants, it was very gratifying to re-introduce native plant seeds in the park.   We were able to seed in a variety of areas with different seed mixes to complement sun and shade, wet and dry soil conditions.  It will be exciting to see what pops up this spring but even more so when these plants mature in future years. " -DR
"It was a wonderful experience working with you all! I have learned so much. I am looking forward to learning more and working with you all more. 
What a terrific group of people this team is!”  - new member, Bobby

Edison Scouts Build Pollinator Garden

The local TAP has featured and article about Edison Intermediate School students Mahie Panjwani, Madeline Schlitzer and Kayla Yip ​and their efforts to spread the word about native plant gardens.

They worked with the Friends of Brightwood Park to learn about species diversity and how to create their garden.
“Manicured lawns are this neat, pretty, very stereotypical suburban lawn and they don't leave a lot of room for native plants, which are plants that have been in this ecosystem for hundreds and hundreds of years. They have adapted to our environment and have built a relationship with our native pollinators. When there are no native plants for these pollinators, they have a really hard time and slowly die out,” Schlitzer explained. ​