The Impact One Day of Volunteering Can Have

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Mt. Eagle Park signA park in Fairfax County’s Huntington neighborhood recently got some TLC from a new neighbor.

More than 70 employees of Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) turned out on November 3, 2017, to clean Mount Eagle Park, a little green oasis behind a townhouse development next to the Huntington Metro station. Washington REIT acquired an apartment complex about a mile away last year and chose to clean up the park for its annual corporate Day of Service.

Mount Eagle Park features a playground, a “beach” volleyball court, DSCN0944 Mt. Eagle Pka shelter with picnic tables and plenty of open space surrounded by trees.

The Fairfax County Park Authority’s (FCPA) Area 3 Maintenance Crew and staff from the agency’s Invasive Management Area Program (IMA) developed a list of projects they thought could be accomplished in a single session, and everyone went to work on a beautiful fall day. Washington REIT and FCPA provided the labor. Tree plantingMuch of the materials and supplies were donated, including 25 trees.

Area 3 Maintenance Director Phil Hager and Cathy Ledec, the Mount Eagle Park IMA Site Leader, tallied results that included:

  • More than 3,000 square feet of invasive plants removed
  • 70 bags of invasive plant material removed
  • 600 feet of railing painted
  • 10 tons of stone dust spread on 360 feet of trail
  • A volleyball court edged
  • 40 tons of sand added to volleyball court
  • 18 yards of fiber added to the playground
  • Playground equipment scrubbed
  • 25 native trees planted
  • One sign installed
  • Four signs painted
  • Several signs straightened
  • Exposed wood on the park pavilion treated with water sealant
  • The pavilion floor power washed
  • One bench dug out and relocated
  • Trash picked up and removed.Mt. Eagle Cleanup

Ledec said the largest item retrieved was a vacuum cleaner.

“A good and safe time was had by all,’’ Hager said.

“I was humbled by the energized, enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer team who completed a long list of trail and park maintenance projects,’’ said Ledec, noting that it all was accomplished in six hours.

Ledec said many neighbors taking walks that day and others in the neighborhood stopped to express their gratitude. It was, she said, “All-in-all a very successful day of community service.”

Author Lori K. Weinraub is a professional journalist and a volunteer writer for the Fairfax County Park Authority.

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About Fairfax County Park Authority

About Fairfax County Park Authority HISTORY: On December 6, 1950, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors created the Fairfax County Park Authority. The Park Authority was authorized to make decisions concerning land acquisition, park development and operations in Fairfax County, Virginia. To date, 13 park bond referenda have been approved between 1959 and 2016. Today, the Park Authority has 427 parks on more than 23,000 acres of land. We offer 325 miles of trails, our most popular amenity. FACILITIES: The Park system is the primary public mechanism in Fairfax County for the preservation of environmentally sensitive land and resources, areas of historic significance and the provision of recreational facilities and services including: • Nine indoor Rec Centers with swimming pools, fitness rooms, gyms and class spaces. Cub Run features an indoor water park and on-site naturalist • Eight golf courses from par-3 to championship level, four driving ranges including the new state-of-the-art heated, covered range at Burke Lake Golf Center • Five nature and visitor centers. Also nine Off-Leash Dog Activity areas • Three lakefront parks including Lake Fairfax, Lake Accotink and Burke Lake, with campgrounds at Burke Lake and Lake Fairfax. The Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole at Lake Fairfax, Our Special Harbor Sprayground at Franconia as well as an indoor water park at Cub Run Rec Center • Clemyjontri Park, a fully accessible playground in Great Falls featuring two acres of family friendly fun and a carousel, as well as Chessie’s Big Backyard and a carousel at the Family Recreation Area at Franconia Park • An ice skating rink at Mount Vernon Rec Center and the Skate Park in Wakefield Park adjacent to Audrey Moore Rec Center • Kidwell Farm, a working farm of the 1930s-era at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon, now with historic carousel • Eight distinctive historic properties available for rent • A working grist mill at Colvin Run in Great Falls and a restored 18th century home at Sully Historic Site in Chantilly • A horticulture center at Green Spring Gardens in Annandale • Natural and cultural resources protected by the Natural Resource Management Plan and Cultural Resource Plans, plus an Invasive Management Area program that targets alien plants and utilizes volunteers in restoring native vegetation throughout our community • Picnic shelters, tennis courts, miniature golf courses, disc golf courses, off-leash dog parks, amphitheaters, a marina, kayaking/canoeing center • Provides 263 athletic fields, including 39 synthetic turf fields, and manages athletic field maintenance services at 417 school athletic fields. PARK AUTHORITY BOARD: A 12-member citizen board, appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, sets policies and priorities for the Fairfax County Park Authority. Visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news2/social-hub/ for Fairfax County Government's Comment Policy.

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