September 26, 2026 | Colonial Place & Riverview, Norfolk, VA
On Saturday afternoon, volunteers from the Colonial Place and Riverview community joined the CPRV Environmental Committee and the Elizabeth River Project for a hands-on cleanup of the Mayflower Path. From start to final cleanup, the group spent a little over three hours removing invasive vegetation, clearing portions of the path and continuing the work needed to help the native planting area thrive.
The primary focus of the afternoon was removing two species of invasive plants that were not intended to be part of the Mayflower Path planting plan.
Volunteers began at the New Hampshire Avenue end of the path and worked their way toward Connecticut Avenue, pulling unwanted vegetation by hand. Recent rain left the soil saturated, which—combined with a welcome breeze—created surprisingly good working conditions.
A significant portion of the path was completed, although there is still more to tackle. The Environmental Committee plans to organize another shorter volunteer session to finish the remaining areas.
The good news is that much of the heavy lifting is happening now. Once the unwanted plants that emerged following the initial planting are removed, ongoing maintenance should become considerably easier and the path should remain cleaner and more orderly.
The appearance of the path will continue to change as we move into late fall.
As the desirable plants naturally go dormant in November, the City of Norfolk is expected to perform its regularly scheduled cutover of the planting area. The seasonal cutback should not damage the established plants. Their above-ground growth will die back while the plants remain protected below ground and prepare to return during the next growing season.
An additional request has also been made for a roughly two-foot cutback along the curb line, matching the treatment already used on the existing buffer-path section south of Connecticut Avenue along Mayflower Road. Creating that consistent edge would help improve access, visibility and the overall maintained appearance of the path.
Projects like this are only possible because neighbors are willing to give their time—and this cleanup had a great crew.
A special thank you to Joshua, Phoebe, and Olivia from the Elizabeth River Project, along with community volunteers Pooya Bina Mohit, Delia Cercel, Mary Batterson Stewart, Wes Stewart and son, Deborah C. Moore, Alicia, and Daniel. And thank you to Krissy Mohit for her support of the effort.
Delia, Chair of the CPRV Environmental Committee, summed up the afternoon well with her Facebook recap post:
“The best part is the community feeling, teamwork, and seeing the amazing results! We hope you join us next time
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She added that the wind helped keep everyone cool while the saturated soil made pulling the unwanted plants considerably easier—an unexpectedly ideal combination for an afternoon of weeding.
While Saturday’s cleanup made a visible difference, the Mayflower Path remains an ongoing community project.
Another volunteer session will be scheduled to finish removing the remaining invasive plants, and the Environmental Committee will continue working with the Elizabeth River Project, the City of Norfolk, and neighborhood volunteers on the long-term care and improvement of the path.
For residents walking, biking, or driving along Mayflower Road in the coming weeks: we hope you enjoy the post-cleanup Mayflower Path—and thank you to everyone helping make this neighborhood resource better.
Want to help with the next cleanup or other neighborhood environmental projects? Contact the CPRV Environmental Committee at Environmental@CPRV.net.