Sara Holtz

Sara Holtz

Sara Holtz is the site leader at Difficult Run Stream Valley Park in Oakton for the Invasive Management Area (IMA) Program. She works to remove nonnative invasive plants from the park, leads workdays for volunteer groups, and acts as an adviser for Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Hornaday conservation awards and Eagle Scouts, educating young volunteers on the importance of habitat restoration. Holtz is an organized, enthusiastic leader, and her passion and dedication have inspired her neighbors and other volunteers to spend hours removing invasive plants from parkland and their own yards. She also assists fellow site leaders with their IMA sites. At the time of her nomination, Holtz had logged 150 volunteer hours, filled 570 bags with invasive plants, and led 430 volunteers in 930 hours of service. She has removed hundreds of the thorny Japanese barberry shrub from Difficult Run Stream Valley Park, which has encouraged native ferns and wildflowers to thrive. Park visitors have commented on the improvements.