HOME

Josh's Eagle Scout Leadership Project

This page will track the progress made on Josh's Eagle Scout Leadership Project.

This project is to provide a service to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service by supporting its maintenance of a balanced and healthy habitat for the white-tailed deer herd living on the Elizabeth Hartwell Wildlife Refuge and the adjoining Mason Neck State Park.

It entails:

1. Clearing brush and marking or remarking approximately one mile of forested refuge/park boundary and another one half mile of trail to define a designated tree stand hunting area from the neighboring residential community and adjacent hunt area.

2. Prior to the hunt, temporary flagging blazes will be affixed to trees along the Great Marsh Trail.

3. Providing assistance on hunt orientation days at the tree stand area to show hunters the boundary.

4. Assisting refuge staff at hunter orientation and in other aspects of the hunt.

5. Improving additional hunt boundaries as required.

To learn more about how the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the community surrounding the wildlife refuges will benefit by this effort click here.

The project must be completed before the scheduled hunter orientation days and the current ranger imposed deadline is November 7, 2010. To support that deadline the following milestone schedule is planned;

Initial meeting with Ranger McClevey to discuss potential projects - August 7  COMPLETED

Project approval – September 14, 2010  COMPLETED

Recruit team leaders NLT – September 16, 2010  COMPLETED

Final coordination meeting with Ranger McClevey to confirm schedule dates -September 17, 2010  COMPLETED

Leader training with the ranger – October 2, 2010 COMPLETED

Leader walk through of the terrain – October 16, 2010 NOT REQUIRED BECAUSE OF THE THOROUGHNESS OF THE WORK PERFORMED ON OCTOBER 2ND.

Primary work date – October 23, 2010 COMPLETED

Alternate work date – October 30, 2010 NOT REQUIRED (Flagging of the Great Marsh Trail (temporarily halted by lack of staples was completed late October 23rd)

Scout assistance at Hunter Scouting day (as required) – November 7, 2010

Erik, Ben and Brandon volunteered to assist Josh with the leadership of this project and attended a day of instruction from Ranger McClevey on the use of some special tools that will be used on the work day. These assistants will manage the teams assigned various tasks.

Here Ranger McClevey and Ben demonstrate the use of a carsonite post driver. It is a heavy metal sleeve engineered to fit over a post to drive it into the ground. Josh, Erik and Brandon observe.

The Ranger points out the location of the "branch collar" where he expects Scouts to cut when removing branches. Being cut at the branch collar permits the tree to recover without the use of sealants. It also reduces scarring. 

The Ranger and Brandon prepare to demonstrate proper use of loppers and where to cut at the branch collar.

Erik demonstrates the use of compound loppers which provide increased leverage and have extendible handles.

Team leaders find a boundary marker in need of improvements.

Ranger McClevey shows team leaders how to flag trees along the Woodmarsh Trail side of the hunting area.