Please join us in supporting conservation efforts at your camp and earn service hours for rank advancement and other requirements. The Council Conservation Committee hosts a Conservation Work Day the first Saturday of every month except July. Email hacconservation@gmail.com to sign up and to get information on projects.
If your unit would like to arrange a conservation project, please email the Conservation Committee at hacconservation@gmail.com. We will work with you to help arrange a season-appropriate, and age-appropriate project at the Scout Reservation. Projects can fulfill service hour requirements and a variety of merit badge, rank, or advancement requirements.
If you would like assistance or resources in planning a conservation project (for example, for an Eagle Scout project), please email the Conservation Committee. There are also several BSA resources that are a useful starting point. For example, see this project planning checklist. Remember that any project should follow SAFE Project Tool Use practices and age-appropriate tool use guidelines.
We encourage Scouts and Scouters to participate in conservation service projects at Howard H. Cherry Scout Reservation. HHCSR is *your* camp. Conservation projects at camp help protect the natural areas for you and future generations of Scouts.
If your unit would like to be involved in service hours related to conservation at camp, the Camp Ranger or a member of the HAC Conservation Committee will be happy to work with you to identify a project, provide an orientation, and assist with the project. If your unit would like to be involved in conservation efforts at a location other than camp, the committee members can suggest organizations to contact.
These project ideas come from the Council Conservation Committee and are aligned with the Council Conservation Committee’s 5-year strategic plan. All projects need to follow the guidelines in Guide to Safe Scouting. The project should be age appropriate for the youth involved and should match the skills and talents of the Scout unit’s leadership.
● Trail Maintenance Service Project Idea. Year-round.
● Work on erosion-control measures on camp trails.
● Collect prairie seeds from prairies at HHCSR to be used in seeding additional areas at camp. Late October/early to mid November.
● Remove invasive garlic mustard. This can be done during one of the scheduled Pull Your Weight: Garlic Mustard Challenge days at camp or on your own. Late May through June, until garlic mustard plants start to go to seed.
● Remove other invasive species, specifically burdock, honeysuckle, multiflora rose, and autumn olive for prairie and woodland areas. Year-round for the shrubby invasives; summer/fall for burdock.
● Create brush piles for wildlife from downed timber. Year-round.
● Build and maintain duck nesting boxes at John’s Lake and Frog Pond.
● Build or repair bat boxes.
● Engage in erosion control at John’s Lake.
● Create bird feeding stations at the blind and throughout camp. Sustain the bird feeding program by creating a pool of volunteers who will fill the feeders
regularly. Year-round.
Conservation project ideas for Eagle Scout projects or for the Distinguished Conservation Service Award (one of the required two Distinguished Conservation Service Award projects can be completed on camp property)
● Plant native trees, shrubs, flowers
● Establish a prairie planting
● Establish a food recycling program at a school or community business
● Start a school garden
● Participate in a park or natural area cleanup
● Hazardous materials collection
● Streambank erosion control
● Water quality monitoring
Hawkeye Area Council, Scouting America
660 32nd Avenue SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Toll Free: 877.HAWKBSA
Office: (319) 862-0541
Scout Shop: (319) 261-3750
Fax: (319) 862-0544
