Community Service, Getting Outdoors and Journey to the Stars: Just a Normal, Everyday Month in Troop 301
To help San Diego repair the damage after the fires that devastated the county last year, Troop 301 Scouts and Scouters participated in what we affectionately call Seedballapalooza, where we helped make seed balls. Seed balls are mixtures of really sticky dirty messy clay, native plant seeds, fertilizer and water. Together with Girl Scout Troop 8250, we created more than 5000 seed balls in the 5 hours we worked. We will have one more seed ball making festival in December. Then, in January, the seed balls will be distributed in the burn areas. When the next rain comes, the seed balls will breakdown with the seed and the fertilizer covered by clay, which gives the seeds a good chance to germinate. If we just threw seed out in the burn areas, the wind would carry it away. If we didn’t use clay or fertilizer, the seeds would wash away and maybe not have enough nutrients. After a few rains, all of the seeds germinate and hopefully the area becomes successfully renewed. Shane Stachwick, Dario Inzunza, Jacob Zimmer, Keith Aylwin, Troy Aylwin, David Mosely, Marvin Ordonez, CJ Bosworth and Jake Todd participated in the Seedballapalooza. This community service project counts as part of the 10 hours of volunteer trail work required in connection with earning the National BSA 50 Miler Hiking Award.
We also went on a 10 mile hike up Iron Mountain, starting at the Ellie Lane trailhead, in preparation for our bi-annual 20 mile hike (Scripps Ranch to the Sea). During the hike, we all waited for it to rain, which happened only during the last half mile. The area was quite pretty as always, especially the way the fog and clouds laced the other mountains. At the end, we were all very tired although glad we had done the hike.
If that was not enough, give a big round of applause to Grant Ingamells, Alex Abeyta, Dario Inzunza, David Watson, Ms. Hauschildt, Mrs. Klug, Mrs. Abeyta and Dr. Bryon. They helped move an enormous pile of gravel from the driveway to 6 Project Wildlife enclosures located in a Poway backyard. With shovels, wheelbarrows, and buckets, they transported a massive amount of gravel. The gravel helped line 6 large cages for Project Wildlife animal ambassadors, including a great horned owl, a barn owl and a raven.
This month, Mr. Bosworth and Mr. Stachwick are working with the boys on the Space Exploration merit badge. Troop 301 is learning about missions to outer space. Did you know that the USA only sent astronauts into space to prove to Russia that the USA was a world power? That is one of the many interesting facts that we have learned. As part of the merit badge, Troop 301 scouts we will also get to launch rockets next month. More details to come!
Jake Todd, Troop 301 Scribe