PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Volunteers in Berkshire County are fighting a battle against hardy kiwi, an invasive plant growing in many local forests.

While the plant may look harmless to some, the concern is it can overwhelm other vegetation in the area and destroy a healthy forest. In the woods of Burbank Park in Pittsfield, many trees are entangles in hardy kiwi vines. The plant can grow to take over the entire ground of the park.

The Berkshire Environmental Action Team is working to take these plants out, even in the winter.

"There’s a lot growing up the trees, so being able to focus on vines growing up the trees in the winter is great because there’s a lot of ground cover and you can’t really pull the roots out right now because of snow and ice and the ground being frozen," said B.E.A.T's program director Chelsey Simmons.

The plant can be harmful to the environment in the ways it grows up and across wooded areas, even wrapping around trees and pulling them down.

"It will sometimes be like multiple feet high of ground cover and it keeps growing on top of itself and tangling up which kills the ground cover of the forest floor," Simmons said. "And then eventually vines will get really large and start growing up trees, and then it will eventually just pull down these trees."

Volunteers with B.E.A.T. have been working hands-on in eliminating hardy kiwi since 2012, cutting vines and removing hardy kiwi by the root. Many volunteers, like Jeff Turner, are hoping it can make a difference for the natural wildlife in the area.

"We try to do our best to restore habitat that other animals can make good use of," Turner said.

For anyone interested in joining the fight against hardy kiwi, B.E.A.T. holds volunteer sessions every Friday at 10 a.m. at Burbank Park.