The morning was brisk and invigorating as scouts from Troop#1 gathered at our chapter park range on Saturday, March 7th, 2020 to plant 30 American holly trees as part of an eagle scout project as approved by our chapter board of directors. Chapter President Powell commented that “assisting Allen Kiger, our chapter Scout Troop Liaision Coordinator, in working one-on-one with scouts as they demonstrate leadership in coordinating all aspects of their eagle scout projects is one of the most meaningful, fun things that I do”. In addition to planting trees, the scouts were able to accomplish other tasks including the filling and stacking of sandbags on the range berms, clearing of overhanging limbs, and stacking firewood near the pavilion.
Scouts from Troop#1
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
For information about America holly, see https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?itemID=1071. A few excerpts from this article are shown here: “The American holly grows to a height of 40–50′ and a spread of 18–40′ at maturity…The American holly grows well in acidic, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, well-drained and clay soils…Features leathery leaves that are 2–4″ long, maintain their green color year-round, and are sharply tipped on the margins. Yields red, berry-like fruit popular with a variety of birds (but somewhat toxic for humans)… Produces inconspicuous greenish or cream flowers with a notably pleasant aroma. Grows in a pyramidal shape…The foliage of the American holly provides cover for songbirds and mammals, and after frost settles in, the fruit becomes a choice food for grouse, quail, wild turkeys and other songbirds. The flowers are also attractive to bees”.
For a photo gallery of these Troop#1 scouts in action, see below:
