Mount Moriah Cemetery Ecological Restoration -Effi Booth-

On October 15^th, 2016 I attended the Mount Moriah Cemetery clean-up and ecological restoration event, held by the Friends of Mount Moriah. Upon arrival, I was amazed at how absolutely large the cemetery actually was. I was also amazed at the fact that most of the graves were actually hidden by the overgrowth of plants and invasive species. 

We began by breaking all of the volunteers (approximately 35-40 people) into groups of about 5-7 individuals. I teamed up with my blog group, and we were given “plot 19.” We each grabbed various tools that would be needed for the initial clean-up, such as shovels, rakes, and hedge cutters. I used the hedge cutters in the beginning half of the event to cut the bottoms of the overgrown weeds, plants, and various invasive species that were growing around as well as on top of various grave sites and head stones so that those with the rakes could easily rake away such weeds and plants. Before we began, it was a huge mess. 

Everywhere you looked you saw overgrown brush. 

However, I must say, that after we finished the clean-up segment, our plot already looked vastly different. You could actually see the ground, and many of the previously hidden head stones (some were unfortunately knocked over and could not be fixed due to safety hazards of the students.) After we finished the clean-up, we began planting species that were wanted in the area. My particular group planted lilac shrubs. We began by digging a hole, and then we extracted the shrubs from the pots they were in when given to us. We then poured water into the soil where we put the shrubs, filled the hole back in with the dirt we dug up, and watered the plants once more. We finished by putting a rolled up small fence around the plant with a piece of wood to keep it steady. We did this to prevent the wildlife present at the cemetery, such as deer, from eating the freshly planted shrubs. It was such interesting experience to hear the friends of Mount Moriah speak about why they dedicate so much of their time to the effort of cleaning up and maintaining the cemetery. One particular quote that stood out to me was from another volunteer with the organization, Bud. I distinctly remember Bud posing a question to the rest of the students, “would you want your mother buried here?” That quote really struck home for me, as I would want nothing but commitment to my mother’s burial site. I was not entirely sure of what to expect from my first urban greening stewardship experience. When I first saw the area my group would be responsible for cleaning, maintaining, and planting, I was nervous. It seemed like a lot to get done in such short time. However, after we started working it was not as nearly as time consuming or labor intensive as I had previously speculated. The photographs to the left show what our given plot looked like prior to our restoration.

I actually enjoyed it because I knew we were making a difference, whether it was small or large. I could also feel the pure appreciation from the Friends of Mount Moriah, which made the work even easier, and helped me feel like I was making a difference. I believe everything I did throughout the event seemed to be an effective service to others. My group and I were determined to make many peoples’ final resting places cleaner, more peaceful, and easier for future volunteers to maintain which I found important to do since the creation of Mount Moriah was centered around the idea of giving those buried there a peaceful resting place outside of the smog infested city with perpetual care. Through this experience I saw a lot of what we have been discussing in class. Each group planted various species which will provide numerous ecosystem services when they reach maturity, such as: provisioning (food), regulating (climate regulation), supporting (nutrient cycling), and cultural services (aesthetic, spiritual.) Also, the Friends of Mount Moriah were in a sense recycling waste products, as they gathered all of our piles of invasive species, unwanted overgrown weeds and brush, and many sticks into a large pile that they are planning on using for a community bonfire. And of the course, actually taking part in a real ecological restoration through removal of invasive species, and planting. The photograph to the left is the area we were given after we completed our removal of invasive species.

Below is a video of a quick interview I did with a volunteer of Friends of Mount Moriah, Bud. In the video I asked him what he thought the positive impacts of the student volunteering had on the cemetery. 

Interview with volunteer Bud

I took this photograph of Mount Moriah upon our arrival.