Pictured are Margaret Chatham, Gaylan Meyer, Bob Root, Betsy Hoblitzell, and Alan Ford. Photo by Jan Meyer
Alan Ford has spent a lifetime pulling weeds. “I remember being an angry boy being forced to weed the asparagus patch,” he said, with humor.
But Ford, the president of the Potomack Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society, remembers his parents raising him with encouragement “to be curious and to enjoy the outdoors and to enjoy nature.”
“I’m fortunate to be able to do the kind of things that I like to do, which includes being out in the world,” said the computer science professor at American University, who has devoted thousands of hours in service to outdoor parks in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will honor Ford on July 26.
Earlier this summer, Cox and The Trust for Public Land named Ford as Virginia's 2016 Cox Conserves Hero.
The Potowmack Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society, Ford's nonprofit beneficiary, will receive $10,000.
See http://vnps.org/.
“Ford is passionate about the environment and local habitats. He educates the public about native and invasive plants and the importance of watershed management. Ford has volunteered thousands of hours across multiple environmental organizations to protect and restore the environment,” according to Cox.
Cox Conserves Heroes was created through a partnership between The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, the parent company of Cox Communications, to honor local environmental volunteers.
“I don’t do this in isolation. There are dozens of equally dedicated, more dedicated people than me that are not recognized by this award that are working harder than I ever could,” said Ford. “Without their efforts, I would not be recognized.”
WHEN FORD moved to McLean in 2000 from the District of Columbia, he attended a program by the United States Park Service on a “new initiative” to “remove invasive plants.”
“I went to their training program and met nice people and started working. It’s been something I continue to do,” he said.
He now trains volunteers, including youth.
“The trick is to figure out how to get somebody to come back,” he said. “I try to make the experience one of interest and engagement instead of one of labor.”
The importance of clearing non-natives is obvious but endless.
“If we didn’t do this kind of work,” he said, “there would be more damage and more loss to the habitat in our parks and wild places.”
The Virginia Native Plant Society educates and inspires and was founded in 1982 as The Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society.
“The Society’s programs emphasize public education, protection of endangered species, habitat preservation, and encouragement of appropriate landscape use of native plants,” according to its website. “The Potowmack chapter is the largest VNPS chapter, representing over 400 members in the counties of Arlington and Fairfax; cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, and Falls Church.”
“Your own property probably has invasive plants on it. It takes a few minutes finding out about invasive plants or getting somebody to show you,” said Ford. “You can start making a difference.”