Getting DC National Parks Ready for Winter
SCA joined forces with Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to celebrate Veterans Day this past weekend in Washington, DC. Over 130 volunteers of all ages came together to honor veterans who have risked their lives to protect America’s freedoms, continuing their legacy of service with hands-on volunteer work in their local community.
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is located only a few miles from the Nation’s Capitol and is home to the only remaining tidal marsh in Washington, DC. The 700-acre National Park site is an urban oasis for herons, ospreys, and eagles, and an educational site for students to learn about the importance of wetland ecology. Volunteers worked to winterize the ponds and greenhouses for the upcoming season by removing lotus cuttings from the ponds, clearing flower beds, and heeling in plants in the newly constructed greenhouses.
By the end of the day, volunteers had cleared over 1,800 cubic feet of lotus and invasive plant materials, winterized 70 native plants in the greenhouses, and removed and sorted 175 pounds of trash from the Anacostia River’s trash trap, in an effort to maintain the health of this unique ecosystem for next year’s bloom.
Several veterans and their families joined the event, as well as community partners from BEST Kids DC, School Without Walls, the Department of Homeland Security, Brown University Alumni Club, and the Girl Scouts of DC.
“Service is a value that we at SCA intensely support. Whether you’re serving your country or your community, we believe that service is something that does and can make this country great,” said SCA Events Manager Lori Robertson. “We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Veterans Day than mobilizing the community to serve right in their own backyards. We appreciate all our friends who joined us to make a difference here today.”
