At the Elsmere Canyon Trail, a team of volunteers is hard at work. Digging holes and beating soil may seem like simple tasks, but for Mary Herr, they are part of a much larger mission.
Herr is the head coordinator of the Wildland Weed Warriors, an organization that runs entirely on the passion and hard work of volunteers.
By removing weeds and planting native greenery, they’re not only making the community more beautiful, but they’re also providing essential habitats for local wildlife.
“Wildland up there with the Angeles National Forest, urban behind me with the freeway. And in between, weeds. But if we can take those weeds out and make it more forest, then we have reclaimed some of the land,” said Herr.
With determination and a pair of gardening gloves, she’s pulling weeds and planting hope.
Herr imagines a space where people no longer have to walk through an ocean of weeds but instead along trails adorned with beautiful native flora.
“When the plants get big enough, and the weeds go low enough, you just walk away.”
“And hopefully, you’ll have a beautiful piece of land there that looks like what native California chaparral should look like,” said Herr.
