The Wellesley Natural Resources Commission needs help to prepare the Simons Park lawn conversion project for new plants to support at-risk pollinator species. Sign up here.

Simons Park, Wellesley. Who’s in for pulling up the ugly black plastic on Sept. 7 and 8?

If you’ve driven by the open space adjacent to the Wellesley Free Library, you’ve no doubt noticed the 10,000 square feet of black tarp, secured with sandbags. The tarp has for months been smothering the grass in order to make way for a meadow. Now in its second year, the long-term goal of the Simons Park project is to convert the resource-dependent conventional lawn into a thriving, ecologically functional landscape.

The tarp has done about all the damage it can do to the lawn, so the NRC will be removing the black tarp and sandbags on September 7 and 8. New trees, shrubs, grasses and plugs will be planted on September 21-23. But the NRC can’t do all this alone.

Volunteers needed

Please sign up here and be a part of this transformative project. Food, fun and fulfillment will be in high supply. In addition, supplies will be available for participants and anyone else interested in joining the effort to convert a portion of their property from grass to habitat.