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The ACE crew leader measures a hemlock tree before treatment. Photo by Rita Larkin December 21, 2015
Inspiring the next generation of stewards is vital to the future of the Blue Ridge Parkway and all parks. The Foundation helped provide opportunities for young people to make a difference on the Parkway and gain hands-on experience caring for natural resources.
This spring, a crew with the American Conservation Experience (ACE) searched the forests along the Blue Ridge Parkway on a mission to save hemlock trees. Using GPS coordinates, the members pushed through thick rhododendron and briars and worked to keep their footing on steep slopes to locate and treat the evergreens against the hemlock woolly adelgid. The project was a success with crew members treating 2,588 trees on the Parkway!