“THE CONSERVATION PROJECT”

TALKING THE TALK &

WALKING THE WALK

Shawn Spencer,

GNYC Conservation & Outdoor Ethics Committee

SESSION OBJECTIVES• 1 - Better understanding of incorporating

Conservation Projects into all levels of Scouting.

• 2 – Review resources to help develop worthwhile Conservation efforts in your home units, districts and councils.

• 3 – Learn how scout units can develop ongoing relationships with local land management agencies.

• 4 – Use planning skills to finalize a Conservation Project that you will be doing later in this course.

WHAT IS CONSERVATION?

DEVELOPING “A STATE OF HARMONYBETWEEN MAN AND THE LAND”

Aldo Leopold

“WISE & INTELLIGENT MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES” FOR THE THE LONG RUN

BSA

The Greatest Good of the Greatest Number

In the Long Run

Gifford Pinchot, 1905

CONSERVATION OBJECTIVE

WISE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES

CONSERVATION IN SCOUTING

Give Scouts the knowledge necessary to make sound decisions regarding resource management when executing their duties as future citizens.

Support local, state and national resource management programs through participation in service projects.

“IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN … YOU THEN PLAN TO FAIL”

• Planning is of the utmost importance to ‘starting and implementing’ any project and making the initiative sustainable

THE 9TH POINT; “SCOUT IS THRIFTY”

• A scout works to pay his/ her own way and to help others. He/She saves for the future. He/ She protects and conserves natural resources. He/ She carefully uses time and property.

Do a “Good Turn” daily

How about a Conservation Good Turn? -- By helping our environment we help everyone.

An easy one to earn – 1 – The unit contacts a local agency and offers to carry out a project. 2 – The agency ID’s a project that can be done. 3 – Working together the unit and agency plan and carry out the project.

Following the projects completion the unit completes the application and forwards it to Council. This patch can then be awarded to all appropriate participants.

THE OUTDOOR CODE

• AS AN AMERICAN…… I will do my best to.. Be clean in my outdoor

manners,Be careful with fire,Be Considerate in the

outdoors and…Be conservation minded.

Elaborate and hand out

Principles of “Leave No Trace”

• Plan Ahead• Camp and travel on durable

surfaces• Concentrate or spread?• Pack it in and pack it out.• Sanitation• Leave what you find.• Minimize site alteration• Minimize campfire use.• Respect wildlife and respect

others.

Scouts in the Environment

• Many scouts want to help out; all of them need to for rank advancements, and there are many things to do.

• Agencies… especially in hard times are always in need of willing help, and are more than willing to put the boys to work.

Remember the “OUTING” in SCOUTING; if we don’t help care for and restore what

we use it won’t be there later!

PROJECTS

• Conservation Projects can come in all shapes, sizes and levels of complexity.

• What do you think would make a good project…….

Brainstorm

PROJECT IDENTIFICATIONMAJOR PROBLEMS FACING PUBLIC (& private) LANDS• Fire prevention, suppression and rehabilitation

Forestry & Range Management Soil & Water Conservation

• Invasive species control Invasive Species Control Fish & Wildlife Management

• Loss of open space. Forest & Range Management Fish & Wildlife Management Air & Water Pollution Control Energy Conservation Hazardous Waste Management

• Unmanaged recreation Soil & Water Conservation Resource Recovery

Hornaday Project Categories

What makes a good project? The Bullet Plan

• 1 – Involves the scouts at all levels of the project.• 2 – Must be FUN.• 3 – Make the first one reasonable.• 4 – Consider the Skill level of your group.• 5 – Set reasonable first goals (and for all projects)• 6 – Is it Sustainable and does it make a difference?

ELEMENTS OF PROJECT PLANNING(Defining Action & Planning to Act in Science & Civics)

• Project identification and problem description

• Definition of possible actions & describing their impact on the problem.

• Selecting an achievable action

• Identifying tasks, resource needs and safety issues.

• Execution

• Reflection & education

IDENTIFYING PROJECT SOURCES

• Hornaday advisor guide

• Past Hornaday projects

• Hornaday Advisor

• Conservation Committee

• Council Website

• Local Natural Resource Agencies

• County Extension Service

• Development Board of Directors

PROJECT IDENTIFICATIONFISH & WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

• Construct a permanent exhibit on the effects of trash on wildlife & staff the exhibit for at least 1 event.

• Construct and install Wood Duck or other bird houses determined by wildlife manager.

• Construct or restore wildlife habitat to be used for education at a school or park.

• Enhance habitat for an endangered species.

• Use brush to develop cover for fish fry in a lake.

• Conduct a wildlife census.

• Build wildlife observation decks with interpretive displays.

PROJECT IDENTIFICATIONINVASIVE SPECIES

Organize and execute a project to control:• Phragmites / Mugwort• Japanese Knotweed• Other invasive animal or plant

Organize a community education program concerning the cost ofcontrolling a local invasive species and encourage the community tohelp in it’s control.

PROJECT IDENTIFICATIONSOIL & WATER CONSERVATION

• Construct a three dimensional model of your local watershed including a discussion of how citizens can help keep water clean. Arrange to have it exhibited in a public place.

• Organize a storm drain labeling and community education program regarding non point source pollution.

• Stabilize an eroding stream bank with geotextiles, plants, gabions and/or rip rap.

• Collecting discarded Christmas trees and using them to stabilize dunes on a beach or along stream banks.

PROJECT IDENTIFICATIONRECYCLING

• Organize a Christmas Tree recycling Program (may be combinedWith Soil & Water Conservation or Fish & Wildlife Management).- Glass, plastics and paper collections.- Used clothing / electronics collections

PROJECT IDENTIFICATIONENERGY

• Conduct a community education program on energy savingactions that can be implemented by the homeowner.

• Plan and execute an energy saving project for your school, church or community structure.

PROJECT IDENTIFICATIONHAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

• Organize a community education program regarding a scheduledhazardous waste collection and support the organizers oncollection day.

PROJECT IDENTIFICATIONAIR & WATER POLLUTION CONTROL

• Monitor the water quality in a stream and provide the data to the NYS DEC or NYC DEP.

• Work with your local representative regarding legislation to address a local air or water pollution problem.

SAFETY IS CRITICAL!!!!

• Think before acting• “Guide to Safe Scouting”• Work plan• Phone numbers / Radios• Pre-site visit• Agency Contacts• Know where / how local

emergency services can be contacted and how fast they can arrive.

TASK & SAFETY ANALYSIS

DOCUMENTATION

• COMPLETED WORK PLAN W/ COMMENTS• PHOTOGRAPHS• ANY AWARD APPLICATIONS• THANK-YOU’S AS APPROPRIATE• • •

REFLECTION & EDUCATION

REFLECTION• What could be improved? safety pre-project training/education communication

EDUCATION• Presentation to Troop/Pack• Presentation to Civic Organization/City Council• Display at Scout Fair• Permanent display as part of project

RECOGNITION

MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE RECIPIENTS ARE RECOGNIZED AND THAT ALL APPLICABLE AWARDS ARE ISSUED ASAP.

THE PROJECT PLANNING CHECKLIST

• THERE ARE GENERIC PLANS EVERYWHERE THAT YOU MAY USE.

• OR YOU CAN MAKE UP YOUR OWN.

• But always remember…

THIS CHECKLISTYOU MUST HAVE A PLAN; INCLUDING -

• Leadership (who is responsible for what?)• Detailed Work Plan (who, what, when, where, why, how, how long, etc. etc.)• Defined Goals (What are we doing today & next week etc?)• Equipment List (what do have, what do we need and where do we get it?)• Materials list (as above)• Hours (start and stop times, # days, rain dates, how much to complete by when,

etc.)• Safety (first aid kits, phones / radios, emergency plans etc.)• Detailed construction drawings (as appropriate)• Forms and Authorizations (as needed)• Project Scope and Benefits (as agreed upon with the agency ahead of time)• One day project (or more )?• Any costs and how they are to be covered.• What is the project’s permanence or sustainability?

A FEW RESOURCES• New York City Parks Dept. (Rangers, Partnerships, NRG, etc.)• New York City – Dept. Environmental Protection 718-337-4357 /

Lefrak Plaza in Corona Queens.• New York State – Dept. Environmental Conservation – 718- 482-

4900 general; 482-4922 fish and wildlife; 482-4942 urban forestry• New York State Parks – 212-694-3720• U.S. E.P.A. local – 212-637-3000• U.S. Dept. Interior – Gateway Nat. Rec. Area 718-338-3338;

338-3575; 338-3799• Colleges with natural resource programs including Columbia,

Rutgers, Marist and Hofstra.• Council Conservation Comm. www.bsa-conservation-nyc.com

REFERENCES

• Scout books – field guide, merit badge books, etc

• Natural resource books• Magazines / Articles• Agency publications

• Many, many, many more.

THANK YOU AND HAVE FUN

His Future Is In Our Hands

Even the smallest can measure up