MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - On Saturday, June 21, a small group of volunteers gathered at Harris Nature Center to partake in the Garlic Mustard Challenge.

Garlic Mustard is an invasive plant species that harms the native plant life, and parks around the state have spent the last month picking and disposing of it by issuing this challenge.

The people behind the challenge have a goal to pull 300,000 pounds of garlic mustard collectively, and in the process create 50 garlic mustard free sites.

Harris Nature Center heeded the call and went to work Saturday morning, spending two hours pulling garlic mustard.

While everyone was busy pulling, I was able to get an interview with Harris Nature Center's Coordinator, Kit Rich.

"We have seven or eight very hardy wonderful volunteers here today that are pulling out the garlic mustard and dames rocket and allowing our native species to come back in."

As of June 13, the total in pounds the challenge had collected was at 50,396, with the Mid-Michigan area contributing 7,125. After 2 hours of work, Harris Nature Center was able to put away 12 trash bags full of the plant.