A promise to serve
Whilst every Scout-led project or action is different, at the heart of every single one are tenacious Scouts, driven by a commitment to serve, empowered — through Scouting — with the confidence and tools to make a difference, inspired by a challenge, and supported by other Scouts to identify and implement a solution.
Scouting America’s Jason C. Woodman is certainly tenacious! He led an ambitious project to create and improve pollinator habitats for Monarch butterflies and other wildlife in Poolesville, Maryland, USA.
This involved the stunning transformation of a half-acre area of non-native grass, the coordination of 100 volunteers, the digging of 391 holes in torrential rain, and additional conservation measures involving old Christmas trees and a pond!
Identifying a challenge and a solution
Every year, in the USA, thousands of young women and men, Scouts just like Jason, undertake community service projects towards their Eagle Scout Award — the highest attainable honour in the Scouts BSA programme of Scouting America. In 2024, Eagle Scouts volunteered 4,222,197 hours of community service through these projects!
Jason’s love of nature and his awareness of the challenges facing monarch butterflies inspired his Eagle Scout service project to create a flourishing pollinator habitat to support Monarch butterflies, birds and wildlife.
“Monarchs are amazing because of their migration. They fly 3,000 miles to Mexico every fall to winter in the forests. Then in the spring, they fly back up to the United States to breed. Clearly, environmental issues have affected the Monarch butterflies like climate change and drought. While reading about Monarch butterflies I learned that pollinators are disappearing. […] I wanted my pollinator habitat to be located in a visible location where I could not only make an environmental impact but could also educate the public about the importance of pollinators.”
Jason put together a solid project plan and secured the support of the Poolesville Town Commissioners, who allocated half an acre of land and USD 6,000 for pollinator plants. A local landscaping company assisted Jason in designing seven gardens that would feature 391 native species pollinator plants across 12 different varieties, including two types of milkweed and colourful plants to attract hummingbirds, encircled by a field of native wildflower seeds.
Volunteer action
Jason coordinated volunteer support, reaching out to his own Scout Group — Darnestown BSA Troop 1094 — as well as Poolesville BSA Troop 2027 for girls, Poolesville BSA Troop 496 for boys, school ice-hockey teammates, and other members of the local community. When the project day arrived, the conditions were not ideal, but that didn’t deter Jason!
“It rained – A LOT! I anticipated just a few of my fellow Troop Scouts showing up to help me and my parents. I was so surprised that 60 volunteers arrived. [..] Thanks to all of their help we had this habitat planted in two hours just when the rain stopped. Everyone was covered in mud but everyone said they had a lot of fun.”
Jason C. Woodman, Scout, Darnestown BSA Troop 1094, Scouting AmericaJason subsequently scattered 50 lbs of native wildflower seeds consisting of straight species throughout the gardens and installed educational signs to raise awareness about the significance of pollinators and Monarch butterflies. He also accomplished three major initiatives to further bolster local ecosystems and shared his progress on the town’s social media channels as well as with local teachers:
- A fishing line recycling programme involving the installation of nine bins around all the ponds in Poolesville, to ensure wildlife does not get tangled in the lines.
- Enhanced pond structure by collecting Christmas trees after the holiday season and placing them at the bottom of the pond to create shelters that minnows require for hiding and growing, thereby establishing a larger food chain for the existing ecosystem.
- Cavity-nesting environments at another pond to attract nesting birds and further enhance the pond wildlife.
“The most gratifying part of the project has been seeing people post photos of the pollinator habitat, watching elementary school kids fishing at the ponds, seeing that people are actually recycling their fishing line, and spotting new wildlife we haven’t seen in Poolesville. It is amazing to be a part of something larger than yourself.”
Beyond the thriving pollinator habitat, pond ecosystems and increased wildlife, Jason’s project has rallied the Poolesville community and increased their awareness of environmental sustainability. His tenacious Scout spirit and the project results have been recognised by his local community.
“We were a bit surprised that a 15-year-old Scout would be compelled to take on a project of this size and magnitude. However, as you know, the Town Commissioners read through your proposal and we were impressed. You convinced us you were up to the task. […] The positive feedback from the residents of Poolesville has been wonderful. Your dedication to the project has been outstanding. You demonstrated project management and leadership skills all the way through the project. I and my fellow Commissioners are very proud of you and we are excited to watch this Monarch pollinator habitat bloom. We commend you for your outstanding effort.”
Jason was also deservedly selected to receive the Scouting America 2024 Messengers of Peace Distinguished Project Award in recognition of his exceptional service in promoting peace, acting locally to effect global change.