Invasive plants species in Cleveland Metroparks are a serious nuisance. They harm local ecosystems, displace native flora and require consistent and on-going management by the Park District Natural Resources department. In an effort to help educate and fight the battle against these invasive plants, Cleveland Metroparks has teamed up with Mitchell's Ice Cream on a new tasty solution - eating them! Starting Monday, October 28, Mitchell's will sell an exclusive sundae topping made from wineberry fruit. Wineberry is an invasive shrub that is found in and around the Park District that can cause serious harm to local plant life. �By harvesting the wineberry fruit, we are able to prevent it from reproducing. We would like to harvest this plant until it's gone from our wild areas. It's nice to be able to put this invasive weed to good use.� said Jennifer Hillmer, Cleveland Metroparks Invasive Plant Coordinator Invasive species are an issue because of their ability to displace and overpower native species. In 2012 alone, Cleveland Metroparks Natural Resources staff treated and removed invasive plants from over 1,400 acres of parkland. �We're excited to partner with Cleveland Metroparks on this innovative collaboration. Rather then throwing away the harvested wineberries, we've used them to make a delicious sundae topping!� said Pete Mitchell, co-founder of Mitchell's Ice Cream. The wineberry topping will be available until it's gone at Mitchell's Rocky River and Uptown at University Circle locations. One dollar from each sale will go towards Cleveland Metroparks Endowment Fund. Help fight the spread of invasive species with Mitchell's Homemade and Cleveland Metroparks - Discover, Enjoy, Protect! -30-
