GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV)- Following the work done to clear over two acres of invasive buckthorn on 'Make A Difference Day' earlier this month, the Green Bay Conservation Corps wasted no time, getting right back to work to restore the woodlot of Red Smith Park in Green Bay. The volunteers recently visited the site and laid roughly 650 yards of mulch on the park's nature trails. Andy Gilsdorf, a Field Assistant with the Green Bay Conservation Corps, explained how the mulch would benefit the local ecosystem. Sustainably Speaking: Green Bay Conservation Corps holds ‘Make A Difference Day’ "Putting mulch down will help protect the woodlot, concentrate traffic on the path and the wood chips will help protect the soil from compaction and allow a better surface for walking," Gilsdorf said. In the past, native species were planted around the woodlot, so concentrating foot traffic to the trails will help them thrive. Gilsdorf explains that the woodchips make the paths more comfortable to walk on than dirt and mud. Despite the extensive progress made so far, there is still work to be done at Red Smith Park. Gilsdorf said that about a third of the woodlot must still be cleared of invasive buckthorn, along with a few more steps that will take multiple years to complete. Sustainably Speaking: Donate instead of recycle your Halloween items "We have a couple of years of follow-up treating buckthorn to make sure that all the seed that is currently in the soil doesn't regenerate and then we will finish up this trail system and from there we will do a bit of supplemental seeding to increase diversity in the woodlot," Gilsdorf explained. The Green Bay Conservation Corps is always looking for helping hands on any of their projects around northeast Wisconsin.