Chappaqua Boy Scout Troop Combats Invasive Species in Gedney Park

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. -- Boy Scout Troop 2 Chappaqua worked with the Recreation and Parks Department of the Town of New Castle and the Westmoreland Sanctuary Nature Center & Wildlife Preserve to remove invasive plant species, which had taken over native vegetation at Gedney Park recently.

Joe Jenkins

03/11/2014 4:00 a.m.

The troop and other volunteers removed invasive species from a 1,000 square yard area around the lake at Gedney Park and replanted the area with specimen native plants.

"I was impressed with the level of support for this issue in the community. We had a lot of people coming up to us while we were working and asking about the project," John Thomas Fitzpatrick, the scout in charge of the project said in a statement. "It gave us an opportunity to do some educational work. People were so supportive that even a little kid about 5 years old stopped playing to help us for a while one day. We really appreciate the help and support of the Town of New Castle and Westmoreland Sanctuary.”

The project has been designed to qualify Troop 2 and Fitzpatrick for Boy Scout's William T. Hornaday awards for outstanding service in conservation.

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