Volunteers can help clean lake at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx

THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) -- The landscaping work is in the water at Van Cortlandt Park in the northwest Bronx.

On Wednesdays in the summer, volunteers work with staff members of the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance at Hester and Piero's Mill Pond near the golf course.

They wear waders and go into the water to remove water chestnut from the surface. The green plant is known as an invasive species.

The non-native plant acts as a blanket and can choke the ecosystem. It grows from the lake bed and creates a mess.

The alliance said the volunteers are essential with city budget cuts. People can sign up on the park's social media accounts.

Other New York City parks have volunteer efforts during the spring and summer season.