Maintaining the 100 or so acres of Oak Lawn Cemetery’s property is quite a project, and a challenging one at that. The work requires a host of resources that include a staff of dedicated and skilled workers for maintenance, trained professionals and volunteers for project work, and last but not least, funding. Oak Lawn is very excited to be partnered this year with the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for a very specific environmental initiative.

As background, realize that the sprawling property is made up of about half open space and half native woodlands, and includes wetlands along its southern border. The native woodlands are graced with mostly oak, beech, maple, black cherry, and birch — all hardwoods that contribute to the land’s majestic beauty. Over the decades, the open space has been planted with a variety of native and introduced trees, and we now have about 110 different species. The collection of trees is so great that Oak Lawn received recognition in 2014 as an accredited arboretum from the Morton Arboretum, only the second such accredited arboretum in Connecticut.

Certain areas of the Oak Lawn property have slowly become colonized by a number of non-native invasive plants. Starting in 2014, Oak Lawn Cemetery and Arboretum developed an Invasive Plant Management Plan in an effort to manage this growing menace. The plan’s goals are to rid the property of Japanese knotweed and oriental bittersweet and to manage the presence of other invasive plants such as ailanthus and black locusts. The invasive plants consist of about 35,000 square feet of Japanese knotweed, several areas of oriental bittersweet vines and a stand of about 20,000 square feet of mixed locusts and ailanthus. Oak Lawn has been able to partner with DEEP and has received a grant to fund the start of this project and this work has begun.

Labor of love that will never end

In order to develop Oak Lawn as a first rate Arboretum the encroaching invasive plants have to be eradicated. Already this first year the Japanese knotweed and the oriental bittersweet have been removed. In addition, approximately 30 ailanthus and black locust trees have been cut down. The stumps will be removed to prevent re-growth. Ultimately appropriate shrubs and trees will be planted.

As the invasive plants are removed from the property a more natural ecosystem will develop, benefitting native plants and animals. With each outreach program that Oak Lawn provides, the citizens of the area who participate also benefit, because they’re getting a true hands-on educational experience. This participation is an exciting one at that, because they have the opportunity to witness the slowly evolving ecosystem change, thrive and prosper. All of Oak Lawn’s programs are leveraged so that a variety of groups maintain plantings, conduct tree walks, manage beehives and create nature trails. A special treat is Oak Lawn Cemetery’s self-guided tour, for which a brochure and map are provided. The map directs visitors to 20 labeled trees with descriptions and accompanying botanical information.

The cemetery association is fortunate to work closely with the Connecticut Audubon Society, University of Connecticut, the Fairfield Garden Club and the Fairfield Museum and Historical Society, which maintains the adjoining property that contains the historic colonial Ogden House.

As the Oak Lawn Cemetery and Arboretum invasive Plant Management Plan moves forward, “our hope is that we can generate a better public understanding of the reality of invasive plants in Connecticut, why we need to control them and how this can be done through our example,” said Bronson Hawley, president of the Oak Lawn Cemetery Association.

By Bob Weinstein and Don Parrott