Arlington Hosting Hands-On Event About Invasive Plant Species

ARLINGTON, MA — A seminar later this month will give Arlington residents an opportunity to learn about invasive plant species and gain experience removing them.

The Pink Invasive Plants Presentation is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 14 at Robbins Library, located at 700 Massachusetts Ave. in Arlington. The event is sponsored by the Department of Planning and Community Development, Conservation Commission, and the Arlington MA Invasives (ArMI) group.

The event will feature a presentation about invasive plant species, highlighting which species grow in Arlington and how to deal with them when they invade your yard.

"It may come as a surprise, but not all green is good when it comes to the environment," event organizers said in a statement. "Invasive plants come from elsewhere and grow aggressively, harming Arlington's ecology and infrastructure."

Volunteers from ArMI have used eco-friendly pink spray paint to highlight these harmful species — hence the name of the event. Some of these "pink" plants are right on the library lawn.

At the event, attendees can even try their hand at removing some of these plants, a task that will be carried out by ArMI volunteers.

Once removed, the plants will be replaced with healthy, native climate-adaptive plants that will beautify the library lawn, according to organizers.