We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Scouting Programs

Hornaday Project Earns Eagle Scout the County’s Most Prestigious Environmental Award

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Scout John Foong of Troop 159 in Powhatan District received the prestigious Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award from Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) for his outstanding environmental leadership while working toward his Hornaday Badge/Eagle project. He single-handedly orchestrated 9 work days over a two-year period during which approximately 310 volunteers worked more than 540 hours to pull about 250 bags of invasive plant Japanese stiltgrass from Frying Pan Farm Park. He also planted over 100 native plants in their place.

His volunteers came from 10 Fairfax County Public Schools, BSA, Girl Scouts, and Fairfax and Loudoun counties, and ranged in age from 5 to 80. He also educated the public at 13 public events including the park’s annual Farm Day, the county’s annual SpringFest, farmers markets, and his town’s monthly art events. These efforts earned him a BSA Hornaday Badge. Hornaday Awards were created to recognize those that have made significant contributions to conservation.

US Congressman Gerry Connolly presented the award to John at a ceremony attended by several Fairfax County Supervisors, members of the FCPA Board, members of the Fairfax County Park Foundation board, FCPA staff, local conservationists and environmentalists, and FCPA volunteers.

John’s project by the numbers:
13 education events
9 work days
~250 bags of stiltgrass
~310 volunteers
~540 service hours

John partnered with Fairfax County Park Authority’s Invasive Management Area (IMA) program, a community-based project designed to reduce invasive plants on our parklands. This program gives volunteers an opportunity to connect with like-minded people while taking care of natural resources.

The Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award was established by the Park Authority Board on November 14, 2007, in recognition of Sally B. Ormsby’s many years of service as a citizen steward. Her actions promoted the responsible and sustainable management of natural resources. These precious assets are entrusted to the Park Authority’s care by the residents of this community. Through stewardship we protect these treasures now and for generations to come. This award recognizes individuals and organizations whose actions embody the spirit and values of stewardship and result in tangible environmental benefits. The Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award is open to individuals and groups whose actions embody the spirit of environmental stewardship and provide tangible environmental benefits to Fairfax County parks.

Congratulations to John for this incredible achievement!

Photographer- Sara Holtz

Leave No Trace Trainer Course

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My name is Quinton Waddy, I am the Outdoor Ethics Guide for Troop 1188 in Manassas, VA. I am a Life Scout working on my Eagle Scout rank. During a weekend in October my father and I took the Leave No Trace Trainer course, which is recognized by Scouts BSA, and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. The Cub Scout, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scout programs all include outdoor stewardship, care for the environment, and Leave No Trace as part of their programs. This Course is designed to enhance your understanding of Leave No Trace practices and outdoor ethics, and to increase your level of expertise and confidence in teaching Leave No Trace skills.

My experience taking the LNT Trainer course was amazing. You can take the course in a car-camping setting or as a backpacking trip, I chose the backpacking trip for a more hands-on experience. I met many wonderful people and made new friends. There are seven parts to LNT: Plan Ahead and Prepare; Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces; Dispose of Waste Properly; Leave What You Find; Minimize Campfire Impacts; Respect Wildlife; and Be Considerate of Other Visitors.

I enjoyed my time learning about the different parts of LNT from keeping our environment clean to digging cat holes. I went in thinking it was going to be an awkward and boring weekend, but I enjoyed every second of it because of the fun and games each trainee had planned for their subjects they had to teach. I taught Pack it in Pack it out. I had my fellow trainees play a matching game with the time it takes an item to be processed back into the earth and the chronological order of them to degrade. They had a fun time figuring it out and it worked on their communication, leadership, and teambuilding skills. The program gets everyone in attendance involved, anyone participating will teach a subject and play the games that are created by the teacher of each subject.

This program has helped me and my Troop out so much already. I had the Scouts in my Troop and in the Cub Scouts practice Leave No Trace while they were doing Scouting for Food. Leave No Trace is a great program and I recommend that all Scouts take it because it goes more in depth to the meaning of our Outdoor Code.

Here is a website on LNT and Tread Lightly where you can take online quizzes and earn awards. https://www.scouting.org/outdoor-programs/outdoor-ethics/awards/scouts-bsa/

Pack 572 Leaves No Trace

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Last month the theme for our pack meeting was Leave No Trace. Ms. Holtz came to our meeting and taught us about the Outdoor Code and the Leave No Trace Principles. She showed us how to be safe in the outdoors, and what we can do as Scouts to keep the environment clean.

We also got to play some fun games where we learned about how long different types of trash take to break down. Let’s just say that styrofoam never goes away!

I never thought about what she called ‘micro trash’ before. That’s what happens when you just peel off a corner of a granola bar and it gets lost in the leaves on the ground. It’s easy to lose and not good for the environment.

Everyone had a great time and learned a lot. Thank you, Ms. Holtz!

Scout Odin Apsey
Pack 572
Den 2

For more information on the NCAC Outdoor Ethics Awareness Award for Cubs vistit: http://www.ncacbsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/New-NCAC-Outdoor-Ethics-Awareness-award.pdf

Troops 111, 439, 647 Tops at Orienteering!

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NCAC tied their own record of nine of the top twelve troops at the 43rd Annual Maryland Scout Orienteering Championships on Nov. 2, led by Chain Bridge District’s Troop 111 from Arlington, Potomac District’s Troop 439 in Kensington (teamed with a Howard County unit), and Arlington’s Troop 647.

The super-competitive Advanced competition was won with a time of 42:12 by Nate Beardmore of Western Shores Troop 347 in Prince Frederick, the fifth overall unit (teamed with Chesapeake Beach Troop 429.) Not far behind were Rockville Troop 944 teamed with Patriot District Venture Crew 1345 from Burke, and La Plata Troop 1321. Nate edged out Jeremy Bloom from Rockville Troop 1450 by two minutes, 111’s Thomas Sullivan, and 1321’s Christian Decker.

Over 775 attended this map training and competition event at Broad Creek Scout Res. north of Baltimore, including over 60 girls. Amongst 110 teams in the Older category, 111’s Houston Burnside and Jon Hales plus Owen Caputo and Kaden Carpenter were the top NCAC teams, with Milo Engel and Keni McBee from Venture Crew 1130, McLean. Topping the Younger competition’s100 teams from NCAC were 111’s Andrew Hales and Michael Corso, 647’s Connor Jones and Aiden Madden, and Charlie Conroy and Felix Shareno from DC’s Troop 1946.

For Troop 111, it was a record tenth time finishing in the top two troops at this event. Everyone completed several beginner to intermediate map training courses, then competed on two orienteering courses. As with the past few years, the top 14 places in the Older category were captured by twelve different troops, and eight different troops nabbed the top nine in the Younger competition! Troops from NJ, DE, PA, MD, DC, and VA took part.

On March 21, 2020, Jim Chaplin’s 15th Annual NCAC Scout Orienteering Day will be at Pohick Bay; reach Jim at jhchaplin@comcast.net. In 2020 the 44th Annual MD Scout Orienteering Day will be at Patuxent River Park near Upper Marlboro October 24; you’ll find more details (and full results from 2019) at BaltimoreBSA.org/orienteering, plus information via qocweb.org for good orienteering events suitable for scouts on most winter and spring weekends.

Photos by: Stan Turk

Duty to God Interfaith Brunch Brings all Together

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On November 3rd, 2019 many gathered for the the Duty to God Interfaith Brunch, at the newly refreshed John Mosby Russell Interfaith Chapel at Camp Snyder to celebrate Scout Fellowship and Interfaith diagloue. The free event began with a model Interfaith Campfire Worship Service humbly led by Scouts. The brunch included a “Duty to God” youth seminar, presentations of youth and adult awards, the “A Scout is Reverent” midway featuring local faith-based sponsors of Scouting programs and special words from Keynote Speaker Brig. Gen. Ron Harvell, USAF, Deputy Chief of USAF Chaplains.

ADAMS Center Youth Choir singing “America the Beautiful” to participants at the brunch.
Scout Executive Craig Poland and Forrest Horton present Brig. Gen. Ron Harvell with Camp Snyder Hiking Staff for serving as keynote speaker 3.

Brig. Gen. Ron Harvell, USAF, Deputy Chief of USAF Chaplains, serving as Keynote Speaker for NCAC Duty to God Brunch.
Eagle Scout Mikaeel Martinez- Jaka addressing participants at Duty to God Interfaith Youth Seminar.

An “A-Neigh-Zing” Eagle Project!

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Check out this “a-neigh-zing” Eagle project! Bryce Treichel constructed an ADA Compliant Disability ramp for horse riders! He and his team of volunteers designed and constructed the massive structure to allow those with disabilities to be able to ride horses. His wheelchair accessible ramp allowed anyone who had trouble walking or climbing stairs to be able to mount a horse. The equestrian field he built it for offers special therapeutic horse riding sessions for those with disabilities. Bryce loved leading the project, he found that when “Everyone as a team successfully accomplished something under my supervision,” he “felt extraordinary.” Bryce’s eagle project helped give those with mobility issues and disabilities the ability to ride horses. Who will your eagle project serve?