Allison66
Registered: December 2010
City/Town/Province: Xenia
Posts: 1
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“Heads up!” I snapped my head up with a jerk, away from the large branch I’d been engrossed in cutting away. Finding the source of the sound with Aaron and noticing the axe in his hand, I scrambled out of the way before another giant shrub came crashing down. Deciding now was a good time for a breather and a drink of water I stepped back and surveyed the chaos in front of me. Friends and scouts armed with axes and pruning shears were attempting to eradicate all honeysuckle and Russian olive from a grove down by the lake at our beloved Camp Birch. Though drenched in sweat, and covered with tiny battle scars from the war against these alien plants, I couldn’t help but smile. I had done this. The growing pile of debris and the sunlight pouring through what had been a tangled mess of trees and shrubs, that was what this whole project was about.
It had begun when I was elected president of Venture Crew 68. Together our crew had written our mission statement. A line of which said, “We will do what we can to help the environment, make the world a better place, and make sure all camps we visit stay in the condition we can enjoy while being close to nature.” Though it sounded lovely, I knew it wasn’t enough. As president I knew I needed to lead by example and decided to organize a conservation project. Since we spent the most time at the local scout camp, Camp Birch, located in Yellow Springs, Ohio, I thought that would be the perfect place to start. I knew from talking to the ranger that invasive plants were one o the biggest issues the camp was trying to deal with. That was something I knew we could help with.
I organized a weekend at camp. My crew, along with one other, was going to work on some team building exercises as well as combine our strengths to attack the project. After spending a day just enjoying camp, it was time to begin. We walked down the hill toward the bank by the lake. Trees, shrubs, and vines in a tangled mess loomed before us. We knew what we had to do. I, with the help of an adult leader, pointed out the species we would be taking out. Then each of us grabbed a tool and charged ahead. Some of the boys worked together to topple a few of the larger plants. I, along with two other girls helped to carry out debris as well as take down vines. Still others worked on pulling out trunks. Working together, we had fun while getting a great deal accomplished.
When we were finished, and the wood was piled high, I hung back to look at what we had done. What had been a grove overrun with invasive plants was now a bright clearing where a few large trees offered comfort and shade while some brave saplings sprung from the earth. The feeling of accomplishment washed over me and I was proud. Taking a moment to think about what this would mean for the future increased the feeling. If we kept up with it, the local vegetation could thrive and scouts working on their forestry badge could see what they were looking for instead of just honeysuckle. Areas that were clearings and meadows could stay that way without plants taking over. Our dearly loved camp would be a truly beautiful place.
Since then I have been inspired to take part any many more projects, whether picking up trash, planting trees, recycling, or conservation projects like mine. I have heard of other scouts taking on projects in other areas of our camp and around our community. They say they heard about ours and wanted to make a difference too. This project showed me how easy it was to help the environment and really make a difference. I saw what one person, or one group, could do and the profound impact they could have. That is something I will never forget.
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