Cindy Roessler, a resource management specialist for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, is a Saratoga resident and biologist who is researching sudden oak death. "There is no large- scale cure right now," she said. "We continue to see trees die."

Oaks are an important part of the local ecology, Roessler explained. Acorns from the oaks feed squirrels, birds and deer, and the trees provide habitat for many species. "If we lose the oaks, we're going to have some major ecological disturbances. It may also increase the fire hazard."

The spores that cause sudden oak death are spread by moist wind. They can also be spread by clumps of mud that stick to boots and bicycle tires. When hikers and bikers use muddy trails where the spores are present, they can track mud containing the spores into uninfected areas.

"There have been studies where they have consistently found spores in the mud on the bottom of people's boots," Roessler said. The possibility of hikers and bikers inadvertently transporting infected mud to places such as Yosemite National Park, or even as far away as New England, has experts worried. "Cleaning mud off boots and tires is a possible way to stop the spread of the disease."

Roessler has a son who had been active in Boy Scout Troop 535, which meets at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Saratoga. She went to the troop and asked for its help.

Jason Beyers, 16, and Michael Bryne, 16, were two Scouts in need of an Eagle Scout project. When Roessler approached them, the teens knew they could help, and in the process knock out their Eagle Scout project.

"The park rangers came to us expressing that they had a problem with sudden oak disease," Jason said. "They showed us a bike-tire scraper and asked us to design one for bikes and boots."

Jason and Michael have been friends since preschool. The two have been Scouts together for six years. They took a look at photographs of prototype scrapers and put their heads together.

With help from scouts in their troop, the two got to work designing and building bike tire and boot scrapers to be placed at trailheads in the mountains above Saratoga. They sketched out designs, traveled back and forth to Home Depot for supplies, and put together wooden frames lined with brush heads for scraping off mud.

It took a couple of tries to get the scrapers right, Michael explained. "I learned a lot from the planning aspects of the project," he said. The rangers provided suggestions and requested additions, sending them back to the drawing board before giving their final approval. "We learned about providing for the needs of the customer and the community," Michael said. He explained that the project required several skills, including planning, using money wisely and leadership.

On Dec. 19, when the trails were muddy from the rain, Jason, Michael and four scouts from Boy Scout Troop 535 assisted District Skyline field staff in installing the scrapers at trailheads in the Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve and the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve.

"The project was a little tough," Roessler said. "They did pretty good." She said the project was important because people will see the scrapers and use them. Using the scrapers will also help raise awareness and get people to think about basic practices, all of which can help keep the disease from spreading, she said.

For Jason and Michael, the project had particular resonance because as scouts, they are active users of open space trails. "We hope this project will slow down the spread of sudden oak disease and provide an example for other parks," Jason said. "I think that the project will benefit the community, and I want to thank Open Space for all their help and cooperation along the way."

With their Eagle Scout project done, the two scouts have a few more merit badges to go before they appear in front of a board that will determine if they should be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. They are hoping to complete the process by June.

Both said becoming an Eagle Scout would be a significant accomplishment. "It would mean a lot," Michael said. "It would be the culmination of all our efforts in scouting so far."