COUNTY – The Union County Board of County Commissioners has joined forces with the Patriots’ Path Council, Boy Scouts of America, to execute Operation WRIP (Watchung Reservation Invasive Plants). On Saturday, April 6, over a hundred Scouts, trail maintenance volunteers, and County staff will undertake a project that aims to enhance the overall trail experience for casual walkers, joggers, dog walkers, serious hikers, and horseback riders in the scenic Watchung Reservation.

Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA members, andVenturersfromacrossnorthernNew Jersey will remove invasive plants from areas throughout the 2,143-acre park. They will focus on removing Japanese barberry and multiflora rosa shrubs, which are easy to locate and identify at this time of year. Both of these thorny plants are invasive, encroach on hiking and bridle trails, provide little resource for native wildlife, and stifle biodiversity by crowding out native plants.

Participants will gather at 8:30 a.m. at the amphitheater in the Trailside Nature & Science Center complex, 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside. County staff will explain the mission, demonstrate procedures, give a safety briefing, distribute tools and send crews on their way. Everyone will return to sign out at noon. Operation WRIP will be a light rain or shine event.

Anyone else wishing to help can send an email to park.env.services@ucnj.org or register in-person on April 6. For quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities, visit the GreenConnectionatucnj.org/green-connection