Members of Scouting America Troop 223 stand in lower Topanga State Park after a successful morning of invasive plant removal.
By EMMETT HAGGENMILLER
On Saturday, Jan. 31, 2025, five middle school boys from Pacific Palisades’ Scouting America Troop 223, proved that local youth are joining the charge in wildfire recovery.
The Vikings Patrol, led by Emmett Haggenmiller, 13, spent their morning volunteering with the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains (RCDSMM) to help restore a monarch overwintering habitat in lower Topanga State Park.
The scouts, along with over 30 additional volunteers from the local community, focused on removing invasive plants that have surged in the wake of the Palisades Fire.
The restoration work is far from over. Future volunteer days are planned in the upcoming months to plant native species within the fire’s burn scar. For more information about volunteering in the Santa Monica mountains: click here.