MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - To create, one must destroy.

"We have a planting project that's going to happen in the fall. We're coming out to remove the vegetation layer that we have currently," said Assistant Park Naturalist Nick Sanchez.

He added: "It's basically a Bobcat with a rotating drum on the front. It's got blades inside that are spinning, it's kind of grinding up the vegetation."

The vegetation removal will actually make local forestry healthier. It turns out some of the local plants aren't so local.

"We had an invasive species problem," said Tower Community Concerns Committee President David Caszatt.

Volunteers have been marking the plant for removal with spray paint. It tends to grow in clusters and canopy over everything so that shrubs on the ground have no sunlight to grow.

Their goal: clear out the buckthorn. Their motive: a desire to give back.

"It's in my blood. I was in the peace corpse for about four years. I realized a long time ago that you didn't have to go around the world to save the world. You could actually do a lot in your own neighborhood," Caszatt said.

Caszatt hopes the community service group will grow. As of now, he paves the way for future success.