Several William T. Hornaday Awards conservation require completing a major conservation project. Choosing a project can be long and difficult.

Choose a project

Interests: Applicants must choose a project of interest to most of the efforts put into the operation of their projects.

Durable: Choose a project that will produce a result for others to enjoy far into the future. This does not include the project for construction efforts. For example, a program of energy conservation with Habitat for Humanity, which is to develop a curriculum and provide materials for people to teach a course in energy conservation Sure Fit this requirement.

Important: A project is more than Hornaday Project Eagle. The Eagle Project is often a short-term effort that requires advance planning and a minimum after the project. The project can mean hours of 100-200. The projects require extensive pre-planning Hornaday and much of the post-work project, which up to 400 hours to complete. Candidates must choose a project that is not too limited.

Education: The selected project must teach conservation practices to others. During a project to fight against erosion, for example, some, spend ten minutes at noon to tell participants how the barrier of erosion and plants help prevent soil degradation and erosion hazards of excessive .

To better understand what makes the different projects Hornaday Eagle service projects or other work, see the following descriptions of exemplary projects.

Hornaday accordance with the criteria

1. Designing a space with native plants that serves as home for wildlife displaced by the demolition.

2. Awareness campaign on the dangers of phosphate detergent based on published research to support the original findings described.

3. The design and construction of artificial fish habitats for the stabilization of the lake bed and homes for fish.

4. Design a landscape using native plants in the soil and prevent banks.

Insufficient:

1. The planting of 200 trees.

2. Set up recycling bins at school.

3. Planning a garden.

4. The felling of dead trees and plants.

5. Have a benefit concert for an environmental group.

6. Construction of a nature trail.

Details on the types of projects

What about the desired categories? Remember that each project must come from a different category. Candidates can not be a separate category.

Conservation of energy: working with local government to a LEED certification program for existing buildings to be developed. Run the program in five certifications and train people to continue the program.

Soil conservation and water: Working with the Virginia Department of Game and Fisheries to develop an internal management plan Hydrilla. Start the program. Record data on the effectiveness of Hydrilla control and publish articles in the media to educate the public about the program.

Fish and wildlife management: the movement of the deer population using radio tags. Selective plant plants that deer eat in those areas preserved.

Management of Forests and Range: Identify adverse events related to human traffic in the forests, especially in the form of hiking trails.

Resource Recovery (Recovery): Consideration of the merits and disadvantages of different types of plastic recycling. Identify the major types of revenue for local government and provide assistance in implementing an information campaign on the type of material chosen to be recycled.

Control of air pollution and water: In collaboration with the Department of Environmental Quality for the benefit of emissions control for cars to be determined.

The disposal of hazardous materials and management: To examine the ability of tomato plants to remove the DDT in soil. Plant several varieties of tomatoes in the country has large concentrations of DDT and to determine which plant is more efficient.

Control invasive species: Use of competitive inhibition techniques to selectively place kudzu plants supplant. Monitor the lasting effects of the inhibitor on the rest of the natural environment.

Some projects may fit into multiple categories. The candidate must choose the category that best describes the project or not used for another project. For example, the draft Hydrilla in the soil and the type of water conservation and take control in the category of invasive species.

William O’Brochta is a recipient of the T. William Hornaday Silver Medal for distinguished service in conservation Boy Scouts of America and William T. Hornaday Badge. It is an Eagle Scout with palms and nine merit badges earned Eagle 65. William is currently an Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 17 in Roanoke, Va., to work with Troop elections, promotion of new scouts, and projects of the Eagle.

William lived from Patrick Henry High School and the School of Roanoke Valley Governor and the first in his class of 500. He is currently a three-year environmental research with the use of plants to remove pesticides in the soil. He presented this research at the Society of Toxicology annual meeting.

Committed to community service, he volunteered for six months for Habitat for Humanity in Hungary and helped BreakElement, Inc. General Contractors Platinum LEED efficiency of energy certification.