Field Experimentation at Highwood Hills

Following the successful creation of our research laboratory in Tenafly, Re:imagine has officially launched its first wave of field experimentation at Highwood Hills, one of our partner environmental centers.

Over the course of two intensive days, Re:imagine members each dedicated approximately 15 hours to develop and apply 30 different preliminary herbicide formulations, each designed to combat invasive plant species threatening local biodiversity. These formulations were carefully prepared and labeled in our newly founded lab.

We identified and cleared over a ton of invasive growth across thirty 1-square-meter plots, each assigned to one of the formulations. After thoroughly removing invasive plants by hand, each plot was treated with its assigned herbicide and carefully raked in to ensure soil contact. Every plot was photographed, mapped, and geolocated to support detailed, long-term monitoring.

In the coming months, our team will be tracking changes in regrowth, biodiversity, and soil health using both in-lab analysis and field observations. We hope to assess the short- and long-term efficacy of our homemade herbicides.

We are so excited to see where this data leads, and to continue reimagining what's possible for local ecosystems!