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8th-grader leads Bufflegrass, Fountaingrass pull events to make communities safer

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Posted at 7:03 AM, Feb 14, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-14 20:36:29-05

TUCSON, Ariz. — An 8th-grade student is leading the way to help make our community safe, especially with the high threat of wildfires in Arizona.

Bridgett Walters is holding a bufflegrass and fountgrass pull on Saturday, February 15, in the foothills. This is the second year in a row she has put together an event designed all around getting rid of the dry brush.

So, what is bufflegrass and fountain grass? Both plants are normally used for landscaping but they both steal resources from other plants. They are considered invasive and can even hurt the environment.

In 2019, KGUN9 met Walters for her first pull event. She says volunteers were able to fill about 50 trash bags with bufflegrass. Walters says pulls like the ones she organizes and that others hold are important, not only for communities but also the Sonoran Desert.

"Preserving the environment for future generations and preserving our beautiful Sonoran desert is very important because if the bufflegrass and fountain grass issue continues to be harmful to the Sonoran desert we might not have are Saguaro Cactuses which are so unique to the Sonoran desert and the Sonoran desert could possibly become a grassland," says Walters.

If you are interested in signing up for this pull event or any in the future, click here.