Monday, September 5, 2016

Embracing the Good News for Planet Earth - Projects in Our Own Backyard!

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. ~Gandhi

This month we are shifting the focus to some real life examples of environmental stewardship here in our local community. We decided to talk with our very own Dane Steinhauer as he discussed his Eagle Scout Project that he completed in 2014. His project focused on working at Blue Ridge Elementary School on their outdoor education center which consisted of a short trail and small outdoor classroom area. Dane wanted to complete this project to encourage more students to get outside the classroom, explore the trail, and learn about some of Missouri’s native trees.

In order to accomplish his goal, he had to organize and put in motion many smaller projects: removing trash - particularly plastic bags (he received help from 4th and 5th grade students attending summer school), removing invasive bush honeysuckle, replacing existing culverts, “chatting” over the culverts and trail (applying a layer of fine, white gravel), and then finally installing the tree markers as well as creating a brochure for students to use. By the time it was all said and done Dane had helped organize over 165 hours of work -- including work completed by himself, his family, other friends, as well as elementary students and Cub Scouts. Although most of the manual labor was completed in July, a lot more work went into drafting the proposal, meeting with stakeholders, and completing all the required paperwork. He claims that his biggest satisfaction was helping to inspire younger Scouts to complete their own Eagle Scout Projects.

Way to go Dane and good luck starting your senior year at Battle High School!




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