Over the last year and a half, we have worked closely with Scout Troop 405 to facilitate conservation and recreation focused Eagle Scout projects at Historic Hanna’s Town. Caring for the natural environment and expanding outdoor recreation opportunities for visitors fall under our mission of preserving and interpreting the historic site, which is also a county park. A shared goal of the Westmoreland Historical Society and Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks and Recreation is to create a walking trail system and address issues related to invasive species at Historic Hanna’s Town.

In 2020, three Eagle Scouts – Adam Nichols, Jim Dzurica, and RJ Valerio – worked on expanding trails and adding native plant gardens.  You can observe some of this work in action in this video:

In September of this year, we worked with another Scout, Matthew Irvin, to extend the trail further into the woods, remove invasive species, and build a footbridge across the stream. The Scouts and adult volunteers worked hard to cut back invasive species, including privet, multiflora rose, Japanese barberry, and Japanese stilt grass, which choke out native understory plants that are more beneficial to the area’s ecology. The footbridge spans a stream fed by the spring near the historic village. This trail will eventually extend further into the woodlands.

A “before” picture of the trail

An “after” picture featuring the trail and either side cleared of invasive species.

Special Thanks

Matthew Irvin and family

Scout Troop 405

Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks and Recreation

Westmoreland County Department of Public Works

Westmoreland Historical Society volunteers