Varina Scout among teens helping to enhance Woodland Cemetery

David Parker initially struggled to come up with an idea for a project that would allow him to become an Eagle Scout. When his dad told him about efforts to protect and repair Woodland Cemetery in Eastern Henrico, it seemed like the perfect opportunity – he felt a connection to the historic African American cemetery and was interested in the restoration work being done.

For his project, Parker, a 17-year-old Life Scout of Troop 501 in Varina, will build eight benches for the cemetery. Woodland Restoration Foundation has been working for the past two years to repair the cemetery, where tennis star and humanitarian Arthur Ashe and renowned pastor John Jasper are buried.

Parker is among a handful of scouts who have chosen to volunteer at Woodland for their projects, said Marvin Harris, the foundation’s executive director.

“[The scouts] could’ve been doing hospital work, volunteering anywhere, but they chose to contact us and come out here,” Harris said.

Usually scouts ask members of the foundation what is needed, but Parker contacted Harris with the idea to build benches. Many descendants of those buried are older, and the benches will make it more comfortable for them to spend time at the cemetery, Harris said.

Four of the benches will be placed around a fountain that is being repaired. Two will be near a building that Harris and Woodland Restoration Foundation board member John Shuck plan to make into a mini-museum or learning center, and the others will be elsewhere in the cemetery. In addition to uncovering headstones and general upkeep, the restoration foundation is hoping to pave the roads.

Approximately 30,000 people are buried in Woodland Cemetery, said Shuck. John Mitchell Jr., the editor of the Richmond Planet, founded the second largest African American cemetery in the area in 1917. Harris and Shuck became involved at Woodland after years of volunteering at Evergreen Cemetery, another historic African American cemetery nearby.

A third of the land is still wooded, Harris and Shuck said, and clearing the underbrush is a priority for the foundation. Most volunteers help out with tasks that are most needed at the moment, which often includes mowing the lawn, trimming weeds, and cleaning headstones, they said. Many young people who’ve volunteered have enjoyed “probing” for headstones, many of which have been several feet underground.

Parker decided to help at Woodland last fall, but had to set the project aside until this month. The Highland Springs High student is in the school’s center for engineering and is drum major in the marching band. He thanked his Eagle coach, Stacie Baird, for helping him “refocus” on his project.

Last Wednesday, Parker set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for rental of tools, sandpaper, plastic tarps, and other supplies. He is already close to reaching his goal of $1,200 after promoting it on his social media.

Parker plans to start building the benches later this month and have them in the cemetery by November. His troop members and classmates will pitch in on the work, he said.

Parker’s work is just one example of efforts by local students at Woodland.

Another scout volunteered to clear an area near the Ashe gravesite with the help of his church community, which continued to stay involved, Harris and Shuck said. Other high school students are working on creating an interactive map that will help visitors navigate the cemetery.

Shuck said he is optimistic that more young students will volunteer, as pandemic restrictions have eased. He and Harris hope that volunteers from nearby schools who stay in the area after graduation will continue to return to Woodland Cemetery to help out as young adults.

Along with Shuck and Harris, Henrico first grade teacher Kathleen Harrell helps recruit young people to volunteer at the cemetery.

“We want the youth out here, because pretty soon, I’ll be pushing a walker and we’re going to need to pass on carrying this on,” Harris said.