A picture of service day 2025

During my service event, I learned that around UMD, there are two major concerns to our wildlife: erosion around planted areas and the spread of an invasive plant species across campus. For me and many others, these issues may seem small at first glance, but they directly affect the overall health of our campus ecosystem. If we have a bad water drainage system the water can damage the plants and wash away their soil. While invasive species mess up native plants. My main tasks involved spreading gravel around the plants, something I had never realized was so important. I learned that the gravel layer improves drainage as well as preventing water from pooling around the roots. Even though the job seemed simple, I could immediately see how it protected the plants and helped the area around it. It was as if the minute the gravel was added, the plants and trees came back to life. In addition to that, we spent time removing an invasive species that I hadn’t even noticed before this event. Once I figured out which plant was invasive, I was surprised by how widespread it was. Pulling these plants out helped prevent them from overtaking native species. This made me more aware of how easily invasive organisms can spread when wildlife is not properly taken care of. This service event was also part of UMD’s larger effort to plant more trees and improve the overall health of our natural habitats. Not only does adding new trees enhance our campus overall aesthetically, trees help filter the air, support local wildlife, and create a healthier environment for everyone. In a world where forests are constantly being cut down, it’s important for everyone to do our part to restore green spaces. Even small steps like planting new trees or caring for existing ones can contribute to rebuilding what is being lost globally. What also stood out to me during this experience was how much volunteering and working together mattered. Even though each of us was assigned simple tasks, all our small tasks together made a big impact. The work we did though easy was definitely time consuming, so I see the need for why volunteers are so important for taking care of the environment.

Even though living where we do sometimes makes the effects of climate change seem distant, it is already impacting our environment. We have seen increased temperatures and overall unusual weather patterns around our area. These shifts make it even more important for us to care for our wildlife and protect native plants. I believe the work I did will make a difference. The gravel I spread created long-term support for plant growth, so the benefits continue even after the event ends. Additionally removing invasive species has a lasting impact because every plant pulled out helps reduce the ability of the invasive plant spreading. Even though we were only there for an hour, I believe we made a huge difference with all the invasive plants we pulled out and the amount of gravel we spread. Also we got our program closer to getting a tree planted. I would definitely do this service again because it made a positive impact on our campus but it also helped me learn more about wildlife. Before I did this project I never realized how much invasive species existed. As well as how much human activity, both positive actions like planting and negative actions like neglect, affect the survival of plants. This service day volunteering project also showed me that environmental maintenance doesn’t just have to be done by professionals; volunteers of many different ages can get involved and make an impact.