My name is Carter Kunz, and I am a Life Scout in Troop 111 in Arlington, VA. For my Eagle and Distinguished Conservation Service Award projects, I decided to do a ravine restoration project in Potomac Overlook Park in Arlington, Virginia. The purpose of the project was to slow the erosion in the ravine in order to reduce runoff into the nearby creek and to protect the large hardwood trees bordering the ravine as well as the hiking trail at the bottom of the ravine.
For my project, scouts from my troop and community members placed 22 weirs/water dams in the ravine using lumber and logs. We then placed gravel on either side of the weirs. These weirs, along with the gravel, will slow the flow of water through the ravine, causing better water absorption into the ground, and reducing erosion that is now making the ravine bigger and endangering the trees alongside it. Over time, dirt will build up behind each weir (on the uphill side), which will further slow the flow of water down the ravine and reduce erosion. Also, leaves and small sticks will also build up on the uphill side of the weirs, trapping more soil and aiding in water percolation. The slowed flow of the water will also help maintain the stability trail below the ravine, compared to if the water came shooting out of the ravine. Finally, we covered the weirs with branches to ensure 
park visitors do not try to hike in the ravine and to help slow the flow of water and catch leaves and debris which will help fill in the ravine over time.
My project is designed to address soil and water conservation. The water rushing down the ravine causes the soil to erode and become unstable, which leads to exposed roots of trees and trees falling over. There are a number of large, beautiful trees along the ravine that are worth trying to save. The soil also washes into a stream that goes straight to the Potomac River. The sediment being washed into the river can impact the health of aquatic organisms such as fish and turtles by destroying spawning grounds and can smother aquatic plants used as food sources and habitats.
On the evening of September 26, 2023, Cub Scout Pack 197 welcomed a special guest speaker, Mr. Tom Coen, an elected leader from the Stafford County Board of Supervisors. 10 Cub Scouts from Pack 197 sat down with Mr. Coen to discuss his leadership journey, as part of their development as future leaders in our community and nation – one of the core goals for all youth in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) program. This event was held at the Ferry Farm Baptist Church and was coordinated, by the adult Scout leaders of the Pack, to help fulfill the Scouts’ advancement requirements for their Wolf Adventure Council Fire “Duty to Country” and Arrow of Light Adventure “Building a Better World.” Also attending this event were 5 Adult Scouter leaders and 4 Scout Parents.
The Scouts were given an opportunity to ask Mr. Coen questions – Tommy, a member of the Wolf Den, asked if there was a plan to fix the levels of lead and bacteria in the water of Hartwood Elementary School (where he is a 2nd grade student). Mr. Coen let Tommy and the other Scouts know that the Board is exploring different ideas and diligently working on finding a solution to fix the problems with the water at Hartwood Elementary School.
On September 19-20, Michael’s Woodshop supported its first Quartermaster Leadership Service Project. Similar to earning the rank of Eagle Scout, Sea Scouts must carry out a service project to earn the rank of Quartermaster. Able Sea Scout William Kennedy, in pursuing the rank of Quartermaster, organized volunteers in constructing a picnic table for Gateway Baptist Church. William planned his project and organized volunteers for two evening work sessions in Michael’s Woodshop. The first evening was focused on cutting and sanding and the second was dedicated to assembly. It was a successful and productive couple of days and the end result was outstanding!
In addition to many other Scouting activities, William has volunteered in Michael’s Woodshop, starting as a Youth Assistant and recently becoming an adult volunteer. During this time, he has always eyed the Eagle and Summit Award plaques hanging on the wall to commemorate projects carried out in the shop. In addition to earning the rank of Eagle Scout and now being a Sea Scout Quartermaster Candidate, he will also enjoy the privilege of having his own plaque on the Michael’s Woodshop “Wall of Fame”.
We are excited to offer this workshop series for girls and boys ages 14+ to learn about welding, 3d printing, coding and robotics! This program is called Exploring with Innovation Academy, and takes place in Alexandria, VA at Building Momentum, a problem-solving organization with expertise in training people of all ages in fabrication and building technologies. Learn more and register at: 
Whom is this program for?
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Patriot District Scout Earns Paralympic Gold!
Eagle Scout Ben H. of Troop 1525 in Annandale recently took first place in two national paralympic rifle championships. He earned gold in 10-meter precision air rifle and 50-meter smallbore rifle in the paralympic division of the U.S. Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs, CO in April, and repeated the feat in the same events at the USA Shooting National Championship at Fort Moore, GA in June.
attending a weekend Troop shoot as a new Scout. Ben decided he liked rifle shooting so much that he signed up for the merit badge the following year at summer camp. However, he was unable to finish the merit badge at camp. An Assistant Scoutmaster in Troop 1525 who was also an assistant rifle team coach at Woodson introduced Ben to an experienced paralympic rifle coach who knew how to adapt the sport to Ben’s disability. Ben not only quickly completed the merit badge, but learned how to be an effective competitor. Five years later, Ben won two national championships!