Webelo Scouts do their Conservation Good Turn - build and locate an Owl box.

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“The scouts met at the beginning of the year and reviewed a range of topics” said Scout Leader Joshua Curry. “They reviewed elements of ‘Conservation Good Turn’. We encouraged them to achieve something bigger than themselves. Eventually they settled on building a habitat for birds.”

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“This was a relatively large and challenging project for 4th and 5th graders” said Curry. The scouts acquired plans for a suitable habitat, collecting materials and tools, building the component parts, and finally assembling all the pieces and installing it in the park.

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“The kids were inspired to do worthwhile things and to achieve their goals” he said. “Youngsters are not always challenged to go beyond simple community services. This just shows how capable our kids are to engage, with a bit of supervision and encouragement, in more difficult and complex tasks for the community.”

More at source, including great photos of scouts!

https://localnews1.org/2023/11/13/boy-scout-pack-97-builds-owls-boxes/

Scout Salute on their Good Turn.

P.S. Looks like an Owl Abode Kit or something similar was used.

Edited November 13, 2023 by RememberSchiff

[RememberSchiff 3680]

Update Dec 4, 2023:

"WAYNESBORO- On behalf the Washington Township Supervisors, Chairman Stewart McCleaf presented a certificate of appreciation to Boy Scout members who constructed the Owls Habitat in Antietam Meadows Park earlier this fall.

Scouts who were able to attend the presentation answered questions about owls they’ve seen in the area, when they expect it to be occupied and how they would periodically clean it out each year. They said they would share the award with other members of their troop who participated in building and installation."

More at source including photo and comments by Washington Township Supervisors Chairman Stewart McCleaf  and  Supervisor Dan DeDona:

https://localnews1.org/2023/12/04/boy-scouts-receive-certificate-of-appreciation/

Edited December 4, 2023 by RememberSchiff

[RememberSchiff 3680]

A related Eagle Scout project which caught my attention.

Cooper first entered Scouting as a first-grader in Cub Scout of Pack 173 and is now a part of Boy Scout Troop 245 out of Memphis.

“My dad was a Boy Scout when he was a teenager, so he knew the program and decided to put me and my brother in as Cub Scouts so we could get the full experience,” Cooper said.

Cooper said his brother Gabriel, age 14, is also still in Scouting and is working on an Eagle Scout project of his own. Cooper said what made him stick with Scouting through his teenage years was the support of his family and his interest in life skills taught, such as cooking, personal management, first aid, fitness and camping.

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Cooper said it was the project portion of the Eagle Scout requirements that really motivated him to work towards achieving the rank.

“I heard about a lot of Eagle Scout projects and doing cool things, and helping out on a couple of Eagle Scout projects myself,” Cooper said.

Cooper said he came up with the idea himself to build the barn owl boxes as an Eagle Scout project, when an online search revealed the declining population of the owls in the area. Further online searches produced research on barn owls and how to build and paint suitable nesting boxes.

“It obviously required a lot of planning, be that fundraising, figuring out where to buy the materials, planning out how to put the nesting boxes together, leading some of the other scouts in the troop in building the nesting boxes,” Cooper said. “That is the leadership part. Management is managing time, making sure it gets done quickly and efficiently.”

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Cooper said his goal is to get the boxes installed during January 2024, as barn owls begin to nest around mid-February.

“Ideally it’s in a rural area with an open field or pasture, where barn owls can hunt for prey,” Cooper said. “And the box would ideally be attached to a living tree. And of course it should be away from major human activity, like roads, buildings, everything, so as not to disturb the owls.”

More at source:

https://www.voicenews.com/2023/12/25/st-clair-county-boy-scout-builds-boxes-to-help-michigans-endangered-owls/

Edited December 29, 2023 by RememberSchiff