Great Falls Eagle Scout Candidate Tackles Invasive Plants at the Grange Park Leads efforts, installs natives.
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Great Falls Eagle Scout Candidate Tackles Invasive Plants at the Grange Park Leads efforts, installs natives.

On Saturday, Dec 18, Leo Chen of BSA Troop 55  Great Falls led an Eagle Scout project that involved removing invasive plant species from the Great Falls Grange Park's oak grove border and replacing the invasives with native plants. Invasive species are non-natives that have a detrimental effect on the environment. Chen and his fellow volunteer scouts worked on the project from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

According to Christopher E. Rich, site leader for the Great Falls Grange Park Invasive Management Area (IMA), before work began, Leo conducted a walk-through with ecologist Patricia Greenberg and reviewed the proposed work plan. She is the Invasive Management Area (IMA) Program Manager for the Natural Resources Branch of the Fairfax County Park Authority in Northern Virginia. Greenberg provides technical guidance to 60 IMA site leaders responsible for managing invasive plant removal in Fairfax County parks. The Great Falls Grange Park is one of 420 parks located on more than 23,000 acres of land managed by the Park Authority.

Earth Sangha, volunteer-based ecological restoration nonprofit in Springfield, provided the native plants the scouts installed.

BSA Troop 55B is supported by its chartering organization, St. Francis Episcopal Church in Great Falls, Va. BSA Troop 55B and 55G are two independent scout troops- 55B-boys and girls 55G-girls.