The Sustainable Scout: Setting an Example for Your Community at Large

Being a friend to the environment has been part of the mission of the Boy Scouts of America for over a century.

We know that conserving the land, forests, air, water, wildlife and limited resources we all share is everyone’s responsibility.

The Sustainability Treehouse at the The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve is powered by solar panels and wind turbines. It is used to educate Scouts about sustainability. (Photo by Edward Bronson // Courtesy of BSA Flickr)

As an advocate for America’s young people, Scouting can help our youth carry sustainability messages about this responsibility to families and communities nationwide and around the world.

We’re helping to build a sustainable future for our next generation of leaders.

Too often, we hear of tragic losses of timber and hundreds of acres of national forests due to something as simple as a careless campfire that’s whipped into a wildfire by high winds.

If you haven’t heard about it, you should read up on the Trash Vortex of floating, plastic waste from ships, platforms and land in the North Pacific Ocean that’s grown into a spiral-like mass of floating trash the size of the State of Texas.

Or how often do we see a turtle caught in a plastic soda-can ring that’s grown with a misshaped shell?  This is just the tip of the iceberg of problems where sustainable practices could have made a huge difference.

It’s terrific to see how Scouts are leading the way to bring sustainable practices alive in their communities so that they can make a difference:

• Annual lake clean-up projects in Kenosha, Wisconsin
• Creek restoration work with the Bureau of Land Management in Bonanza, Colorado
• Creating a rain garden in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania to reduce pollution
• Setting up recycling campaigns in cities like Vacaville, California

What steps do you take to set the example in your workplace or community to establish a stronger commitment to sustainability? I’d like to hear more about what projects have successfully brought people together to take better care of the environment – share your stories here!

Thanks, Wayne