Georgetown Students Take on Public Service and Scones at Piscataway Park
Sunday, September 14th, was a warm, sunshine-y morning. Georgetown students, still sipping coffee and wiping sleep from their eyes, piled into a 12-passenger van to drive an hour to Piscataway Park for a picnic brunch and invasive species removal. As Shea and I, their guides for the day, checked that we had everything we needed for a successful outing, the participants chatted excitedly, exchanging names, years, and majors. Our group was only eight strong, and had a range of experience—a few of the students had never been on an Outdoor Education trip before, while others had recently gone on a five-day backpacking trip–but everyone was excited to get on the road.
When we arrived at Piscataway Park, we set right off to explore. There were sights to see and snacks to eat, and we only had an hour before we needed to be at our volunteer shift. While Shea and I had picked Piscataway Park for its natural beauty, proximity to the river, and wetland ecosystem, we didn’t expect to see goats and cows roaming around the Colonial Farm that bordered the park! The participants had fun looking at the cows from a distance and petting the goats that came up to the fence line. We ended up picking a shady spot near the goats to have our picnic. Over apple cider and scones that Shea had baked the night before, I told our participants about the National Park Trust, how the organization supports trips like this, and how, through the invasive species removal, the students themselves were enacting NPT’s mission to protect and preserve the national parks.
All too soon, it was time to pack up the picnic and head over to the invasive species removal, which was being held in honor of National Public Lands Day. Shea made sure the students applied sunscreen and had plenty of water while I met Val and Risharda, the Piscataway Park staff who would be showing us the work we’d be doing for the day. After a round of paperwork, Val explained to the Georgetown students and a number of other volunteers that we would be removing perilla (also known as beefsteak or shiso) and sweet autumn clematis. Each student geared up with a reflective vest, work gloves, and clippers before getting to work. In the next two hours, we packed 15 contractor bags full of invasive species and cut through vining clematis to reveal native tree species struggling to grow underneath! Just as we were finishing up our work, a couple walked by with an adorable golden retriever puppy. Everyone took a short break to give her some pets.
As the group got ready to drive back to campus, our participants said goodbye to the other volunteers, with whom they had become fast friends. Shea and I thanked Val and Risharda for their help and decided that we would have to return to Piscataway Park again in the future. The participants in the group were all excited to receive National Park Trust water bottles, and told us that they hoped to sign up for future trips. With a few hours of community service under their belts and a few of Shea’s scones in their bellies, our small-but-mighty group returned to campus life, looking forward to the next time that they’d be able to explore one of our beautiful parks!
