From left, Sean Meyer, Jonathan McClelland, Luke Greving, Roderick Bartlett, Natalie Noel, Beth Keiser, Quintin Heaton and Alexis Norman. Not pictured is Kristy Trevathan

Members of the Mississippi Hills Master Naturalists and others worked to remove invasive bush honeysuckle from Riverview Park recently.

Kristy Trevathan said the volunteers worked for almost three hours in the park. She said, “The spirit of volunteerism is helping our Honeysuckle Hack Squad remove unwanted invasives and enjoy the camaraderie of a common goal.”

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, fall is the ideal season for controlling many non-native invasive shrubs and trees because their leaves are some of the last to drop, making them highly visible.

Bush honeysuckle grows aggressively and forms dense thickets that block sunlight, preventing native plants from thriving. This reduces biodiversity and alters the natural plant community. Also, bush honeysuckle produces abundant berries that birds eat and spread widely, allowing it to invade new areas quickly.

The local Mississippi Hills Master Naturalist group will start another class in 2026. The statewide Missouri Master Naturalist Program promotes environmental stewardship by combining education and action to restore and preserve ecosystems, empower communities, increase citizen awareness, collect data, and master skills, knowledge and habits to improve the environment.