Boy Scouts of America member Cole Rosenberg plans to restore habitats for the wildlife at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, on Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29.
Cole, 13, hopes to reach Eagle Scout status, but in order to do so, he must complete a service project that benefits the community. He has chosen to spend the two days building brush pile shelters at one of the largest parks in Fairfax County. Due to the overgrowth of the surrounding forest and the increase in residential areas, the park’s meadows are rapidly diminishing.
"The meadow habitat is disappearing," said Cole. "We’re going to build shelters for the animals to live in."
According to Dave Lawlor, the park’s natural resource manager, building and expanding the meadows will enable more species to inhabit the area. "The larger the meadows, the more species it can attract," said Lawlor.
Cole’s mother, Sheryl Rosenberg, believes the project is a great idea. "He’s learning leadership skills and organizational skills," she said.
Cole is looking for volunteers to help out Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., at Huntley Meadows Park. He hopes to fully restore the meadow habitat and allow many more species to inhabit the area.
"The meadows make it a better place for the animals and for people to come visit," said Rosenberg.
Lawlor agreed. "When the meadows are healthy, they are a beautiful place to be," he said.
<b>Sara Ronken</b>