The Turville and Hegeman advisories dirtied their hands while weeding and covering invasive plants at the Don Greene Nature Park. The small park is home to a large variety of exotic plant species and a cherished oasis for the urban community. 

Students worked with Janice Walden, an accomplished environmentalist and active Eagle Advisor of the St. John the Divine-sponsored Scout Troop. 

With her help, the advisories split up: the Hegeman advisory removed an invasive purple flower inhibiting the park’s dragonfly pond while the Turville advisory covered a species of low-growing bamboo growing in almost half the park with black felt to stop sunlight from reaching the plants. 

“Working in a natural setting, even one acre, is always a process of learning the natural balances and inter-relationships of the living organisms,” Walden said.

The project proved to be a great bonding experience for the advisories. 

“We worked together and encouraged each other to work both smart and hard,” freshman Claire Shchwanaeur said. “We’re all friends, but we learned how to effectively perform as a team even if we got frustrated with each other.”