Over a century of ivy, Daphne, Himalayan blackberry and other alien greenery had largely been left unchecked, swamping the local flora and choking many of the native trees. Some of the species are also poisonous to humans and animals.

The soft-spoken Richards has lost 25 pounds since starting his mission and describes clearing plants as a form of mindfulness as he hunts and digs. Although he modestly lauds his colleagues, he appears to be the star performer often spending an extra 12 hours each week clearing plants on his own. In Lillian Hoffar Park alone, he has cleared three truck loads of weeds in just a few weeks.

“In this day and age when climate change and man’s impact on the whole planet is obvious, it occurred to me that you can also go back and restore. All the Ivy and Daphne that comes off the ground allows the native stuff to grow, all the herbs and different beautiful native plants, so you actually get a feeling in a small way, in a microcosm, of doing what human beings should be able to do.”