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El Camino Real ChapterEl Camino Real Chapter
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Ben Shrader Bio

Are you ready to protect your native species, battle against invasive species, and have fun at the same time? Join the academy and learn how to spot invasive plants, defeat enemies with your Invasive Hunter moves, and create an action diorama that you can take home to capture your battle with invasives.  Be one of the few. The proud. The fighting naturalists!

Ben, 14, is a middle-schooler and has given presentations about invasive plant species at many nature locations, to include: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and at the U.S. Botanical Garden in Washington, DC, during the National Invasive Species Awareness Week.  Ben’s entertaining video about the invasive Giant Reed, “Who will fell this Titan”, won first place at the University of Texas Science Under the Stars video contest in 2011.  His adventures have been written about in numerous Internet and educational publications, including the USDA website, Science Weekly, and the Texas Co-op magazine. Commander Ben, The Invasive Species Hunter, teaches kids of all ages about invasive species with his blog and humorous videos at commanderben.com.

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