Joe2010
Registered: December 2015
City/Town/Province: Boerne
Posts: 1
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One of my life time goals has been to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. I have been in Boy Scouts ever since I can remember. I started as a cub scout and I wanted to attain this award because it is highly honored and revered. I was interested in doing my eagle project with respect to nature because I have always loved the outdoors and wildlife. I chose to do my project at Kreutzberg Canyon Park near Boerne, Texas, because I had gotten to know the park manager when my older brother did his eagle project there. I was given the option of choosing my project from a list of things the park was in need of. I chose to do my project on native bee hotels and bee blocks to promote successful bee reproduction. Texas is blessed with several native bee species including bumblebees, leaf-cutter bees, and digger bees. All of our bees are ecologically beneficial because they pollinate several thousands of endemic wildflowers. The native bee’s large bodies are perfect for carrying vast amounts of pollen from bloom to bloom. In order to reproduce, the endemic bees need to excavate holes either in the soil or in dead wood. They may also use abandoned burrows of small rodents, wood crevices, or even the holes left by woodpeckers. The bee hotels and blocks had several holes drilled into them so the female bees would not have to waste energy and time finding or excavating their own reproductive chamber. The female bee crawls inside the drilled hole, lays one egg, stores a capsule of pollen and nectar inside, and then seals the hole with wax. The larva hatches and feeds on the food left by its parent. The larva pupates and emerges as an adult bee. Then the cycle continues as the adults pollinate spring flowers when they feed on sugary nectar. Today’s native bee population is slowly declining because of overuse of harmful pesticides and herbicides. As a result, the wildflowers that depend on the bees for pollination are also declining. The three bee hotels and twelve blocks that I built are to encourage native bees to stay within the area of the park to pollinate the park’s flowers. The blocks and hotels provide artificial brooding chambers necessary for native bee reproduction. Both structures were built to support a healthy population of pollinators to stimulate an equally healthy plant population. It is important to sustain ecosystems for our own recreational purposes and to preserve them for future generations. Overall, my eagle project taught me to develop an action plan and carry it out to the end. I learned skills in planning, designing, budgeting, funding, managing, and delegating. The most rewarding part of my entire experience was having the ability to grow in my leadership skills in order to achieve a life time goal.
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