Community Corner

Local Boy Scouts Plant Trees in Burke Lake Park

The 10 newly planted trees are part of a community volunteer project called 1,000 Trees, which is organized by the 95 Express Lanes with support from local Fairfax County officials.

A total of 10 brand new trees can now call Burke Lake Park home thanks to a combined effort between Boy Scouts from Springfield Troop 1140, Fairfax County officials and Transurban-Fluor.

The boy scouts, along with Springfield Supervisor Pat Herrity, Del. Dave Albo (R-42nd), representatives from the Fairfax County Park Authority, and community members from the South Run Regency community, planted the trees last Saturday as part of the 95 Express Lanes’ 1,000 Trees in 1,000 Days program. The project aims to plant 1,000 trees in communities near the 95 Express Lanes construction corridor in 1,000 days.

So far, a total of 75 trees have been planted in Burke Lake Park under the program.

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“This is a win win – the community need perfectly fit the community outreach efforts of Transurban-Fluor. When the Burke Lake dam underwent repairs recently, many trees had to be removed to allow equipment to enter the park,” Herrity said in a news release. Herrity submitted an application for Burke Lake Park as a project site for the 1,000 Trees program earlier this year.

“The trees Transurban-Fluor, the community, and the boy scouts planted will go a long way in keeping Burke Lake Park as one of Fairfax County’s most beautiful and prized assets. I want to thank the partners on the 95 Express Lanes project for their commitment to the environment and our community,” said Herrity.

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Residents in the South Run community applauded Herrity and Transurban-Fluor for the trees and Saturday’s community planting ceremony. 

"South Run is largely a community of heavily-treed lots and common spaces that abuts Burke Lake Park where the dam renovation took place,” said Chuck Caposell, Trustee, South Run Regency. “We are grateful for the efforts of Supervisor Herrity who, along with the generosity of Transurban, has secured 75 trees for the park including ten located near our community.” 

You can see photos from Saturday’s event above. To learn more about the 1,000 Trees Program, visit www.95expresslanes.com/1000trees.


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