I Am Conservation

Les Fortenberry, Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 11 in Jefferson City, along with fellow Scouts (from left) Allen Fortenberry, Harry Hawkins, Assistant Scoutmaster Joe Wang, Michael Wang, Nathaniel Cook, and Eric Prullage, build a trail section at Binder Lake in Jefferson City. Cook says, “I like being able to give something back in return for being able to get out and enjoy being outside in nature.” For 25 years Troop 11, known as The All-Weather Troop, has provided an exciting program of outdoor skills and leadership development for boys 11 to 17. Troop 11 believes that being outdoors help Scouts gain an appreciation for the natural world as well as serving as a laboratory in which to learn ecology and practice the conservation of natural resources. Fortenberry says, “These work sessions are a natural fit for the Scouts. Service to others, a core Scouting tenet, is paired with the concept of ‘earn your dirt,’ where trail users volunteer for maintenance and construction of trails they enjoy.” —photo by Cliff White