Over 75 Eagle Scout Service Projects Signed

In the summer of 2009, the Wild Over Wood Duck (WOW) organization introduced a program whereby boy scouts looking for a suitable Eagle Service Project (ESP) could become involved by constructing and donating 12 nesting boxes and donating them to the WOW program. These nesting boxes would then be placed and monitored for the purpose of studying the nesting habits and growth of Utah’s wood duck population. In it’s first year, the WOW program and it’s boxes produced over 1000 wood duck eggs from the use of these nesting boxes. Now in it’s third season of working with the Boy Scouts of America and their ESP’s, WOW volunteers and USU Wildlife Society students will add another 250 ESP boxes to the already existing 500 boxes this spring. The science from these efforts has shown an overwhelming difference in the success of these highly effective nesting cavities. The ongoing effects that this program is having spans far beyond the reach of these nesting cavities. The young men and their project volunteers that work to support them in these ESP efforts are learning the skill to become tomorrows effective leaders in our communities.

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Working Towards Excellence

Often times within the WOW program, i have the opportunity to get to work with these young men in the Eagle Service Projects (ESP). I firmly believe in the adage that it takes a village to raise a child and that we can make a difference by getting involved. Within the scouting program, these young men learn to recite a series of oaths, promises and laws. Within the Scout Oath it says “to help other people at all times”; in the Scout Promise it says”DO A GOOD TURN DAILY”. As leaders in these young mens lives, i feel we have a duty to lead by example. Working with these young men in their ESP’s and the WOW program, while it may be brief, i hope to instill a sense of accomplishment, [their] self worth and [my] gratitude to them. These ESP’s take an extreme amount of effort and commitment from the young men and their leaders; myself and the individuals working within the WOW program respect and honor these efforts as these young “Eagles” work towards Excellence.
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Hands On Outdoor Experience For Youth

Years ago i was approached by a gentleman about doing a feildtrip with his students. He was a teacher at a local inner-city school and was looking for an opportuntiy to teach the kids about some of the resources to the outdoors. I had no idea that this would turn into such a wonderful and long lasting relationship, not only with this teacher but students as well as some of their parent. I love it every time the school bus pulls in to the feildtrip location, you can here it coming for a mile it seems with the kids and their youthful energy. But my favorite thing is to catch the look of many miles traveled on the poor bus drivers faces. Botox has to be a top seller among them. It only took one trip for me to understand that for many of these students, this was their first real introduction to the outdoors. As the Wild Over Wood Ducks (WOW) program has expanded, our leaders have learned to recognize the opportunity to get the youth involved in a hands-on-rich environment and the experiences it brings to them.

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