world conservation project ideas

[suzan]

I am looking for ideas for our world conservation award project. What have you done that was successful?

[Joni4TA]

Our Bear den did one about 5 years ago that was great. We lived in the Mojave desert and there was this invasive shrub/tree called the Tamarisk or "salt-cedar." They have the ability to take in great amounts of water (up to 300 gallons a day or something) and at the same time deposit salt into the soil, neither of which is good for the already drought-ridden desert.

 

Anyhow, our Den found many of these shrubs growing in flash-flood canals. They grew quickly and blocked openings for drainage. We contacted the local Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs directorate and worked out a plan where our den would go find a good collection of these salt cedars and we would hack them down to just above the roots and then the NREA would come in and poison the stalks so they wouldn't grow back.

 

It was great fun, a lot of hard work (just think, Bear scouts with saws! ) and the den earned their World Conservation Award!

 

Good luck with yours!

 

 

[pack625]

you could contact your local scout camp and talk to the camp ranger. they usually can come up with a project for the boys to do. it also helps them out by having projects done that might not get done otherwise.

[EagleBeaver]

Contact local US Fish & Wildlife or US Forest Service.

My Webelos den gathered wild prairie grass seeds as a den outing to a remote wild area. Then, a month later, they helped the rest of the pack do the same thing at a more 'tame' location.

The seeds are used to replant areas that have been damaged or are being reclaimed.

 

I expect the USFW and USFS would have many other project ideas too.

 

Paul