Vegetation Trimming and English Ivy Removal North of Memorial Bridge

The Friends of Mount Vernon Trail will be improving the trail north of Memorial Bridge.

Volunteers will also remove English Ivy from trees along the trail. English Ivy is an invasive species that kills trees by smothering leaves, creating rot and weighing down branches. This also increases the risk that a tree will fall on a trail user.

No special skills are needed. We'll teach you how to help in just a few minutes.

Volunteers may perform some of the following work:

• Using pruners and loppers to cut vegetation
• Using hand saws to cut tree branches
• Sweeping or using a leaf blower
• Hauling away vegetation
• Picking up trash

What to Bring:

• Water
• Gloves (We'll have some to borrow)
• Pruners or loppers (We'll have some to borrow)
• Long sleeves and long pants (we sometimes encounter poison ivy)

Where to Meet:

We will meet on the trail between Theodore Roosevelt Island and Memorial Bridge. See the image below for the event start location. If coming by car, it is 0.7 mile walk south of the Theodore Roosevelt Island parking lot. Alternatively, you can park at the Columbia Island Marina and walk 1.3 miles north on the trail. Note the parking lot at TR Island can get full on Saturday morning. Look for the purple Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail sign.

If using the metro it is a 1.1 mile (25 min walk) from the Arlington Cemetery Metro stop. See image below.

Approximate location on google street view here

Google maps GPS location here

Group Volunteering:

We welcome groups to come volunteer at our events. If you plan on having more than 10 people come on a particular weekend, just let us know via email (hello@mountvernontrail.org) no less than one week prior to the day of the event. It is critical that you reach out and ensure everyone volunteering with your group registers through this EventBrite link so we can better plan work scope, prepare supplies, and promote your group’s attendance on social media. You can read more about group volunteering on our website here.

Are you a Scout troop leader? Our events are great for troops looking for volunteer hours. Please reach out as we have patches we can distribute at the event!

Support our Work:

We're raising funds to continue to improve the Mount Vernon Trail. Donate to keep our volunteers equipped with tools and supplies at Donate to Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail.

Keep up to date with upcoming events and news about the trail by following us on our website, Facebook, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.

Photo and Liability Waiver:

By registering to volunteer, you're agreeing to our Photo Release and Liability Waiver.