Areas cleared in Hillmead Park ready for perennial wildflowers and trees.

Members of the Bethesda Green community and neighborhood volunteers joined together over the weekend of Oct. 22-23 to make a big dent in the invasive plant infestation at Hillmead Park on Bradley Blvd.

Sandy Spring Builders contributed $1,000 and two workers for the effort. They were joined by Hillmead neighbors, employees of The North Face store at Bethesda Row, and congregation members from Beth El synogogue.

Jose Castillo from Sandy Spring Builders attacks the invasive jungle at Hillmead.

The removal of exotic vines and shrubs that were climbing over and killing mature hardwood trees cleared the way for planting of perennial wildflowers and grasses later this fall, and eventual planting of trees to preserve the integrity of the park’s small forest. Special thanks to Mimi Kress of Sandy Spring, Harriet Kuhn of the Hillmead community, and Carole Bergmann of Montgomery Parks for help in making the weekend a big success.

Bethesda Green volunteer Steve Dryden, a Montgomery County “weed warrior” supervisor, directed the group on site.