Cub Scouts from Pack 461 in Bethesda collected tree seeds in Cabin John Regional Park Oct. 29 as part of the Potomac Conservancy's Growing Native program.
The program began five years ago to help state nurseries meet a growing demand for native hardwood tree seeds.
The seeds are collected in the fall and in spring the seedlings are transplanted to areas along the Potomac and its tributaries, where forest buffers help protect the water from pollutants.
The local seeds grow more successfully than those purchased from out of state.
Colleen Langan, who coordinates the program for the Potomac Conservancy, said that Growing Native has advantages over environmental efforts, like a trash collection.
"A trash cleanup deals with an immediate problem and there's an immediate solution. People who spend hours cleaning up the trash ... when they go back after a heavy rain, there's trash there everywhere again," she said. "A project like this, we're really thinking long-term."
Trees grown from seeds collected at Growing Native may stand along the Potomac for decades or more.
Anyone can participate in Growing Native by learning to identify seeds and collecting in their own back yard. Learn more at www.potomac.org/growingnative.