Five students at GJCC had the opportunity to participate in Gainesville’s largest community event on Saturday, January 28th, 2012. More than 1,000 volunteers came together for the 13th Annual Great Air Potato Roundup, which is modeled after a litter clean up, to remove air potatoes and other invasive, exotic plants from Gainesville’s natural areas. Air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera), is a non-native vine that jeopardizes Florida’s natural communities by engulfing native vegetation. The rapid-growing vine produces aerial tubers (hence the common name “air potato”) that fall to the ground in the late fall and winter and produce new vines that sprout in the spring.

The students, along with Solar Panel Instructor Erick Green and 2 other staff members, spent about two hours pulling up invasive plants before gathering at Morningside Nature Center for a celebration where they were given free event tee shirts, refreshments, music and prizes.
Instructor Green said the students were glad to lend a helping hand to nature and are already looking forward to the next community event.