Some of the scouts and parents who weeded and cleaned the park on Saturday with Eagle Scout candidate, Brendan Osborne (top row, 3rd from left), and City Councilman, Michael Cacciotti (top row, 2nd from left)
As noted in my last blog entry, the scouts have come to the rescue. Although things were looking real good last spring, during the summer I noticed that some of the weeds have made an amazing comeback. But they are not advancing unchallenged! Under the supervision of boy scout Brendan Osborne, a group of scouts and adults spent the morning in the nature park removing castor bean (Ricinus communis), tumbleweed (Salsola tragus), puncture weed (Tribulus terrestris) and tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). To finish up the day, everyone took a quick spin through the park picking up trash.
Brendan points out castor bean and instructs volunteers on removing and bagging the flowers and seeds.
Scouts learn to identify poison oak before they begin weeding.
I can't imagine what I thought was so funny about the annoying plant I am holding in my bright red-gloved hands, but City Councilman, Michael Cacciotti, was amused by the puncture weed as well.
The weeds better run when confronted by smiling but deadly serious scout!
Weeds with seed heads are bagged and thrown away. Weeds without seeds are pulled and left to decompose.
Natural Resources Commissioner, David Beadle, explores along fence line of golf course with Michael Cacciotti
Michael Cacciotti ducks as golf ball flies through hole in netting along fence.
Can you picture the Arroyo Seco (view goes north towards Pasadena in this picture) flowing freely again with the concrete channel removed?
