Rincon Boy Scout Jeffrey Madere has received the national Hornaday Conservation award.
Madere earned the award for his Eagle Scout project building a corral for a three-legged deer and other animals.
Madere is part of Troop 665 of the Rincon United Methodist Church. Scoutmaster for the group is Ken Luikart.
Madere was volunteering at the Wildlife Critters Rehabilitation Center in Ellabelle when he was told the Georgia Department of Natural Resources had directed the center to provide a special corral for the three-legged deer.
Madere’s project eventually grew to include a large fenced-in area for some rescued horses, a special cage to house smaller animals such as flying squirrels, rabbits and other animals, a small house habitat for baby deer, a play ramp for a fainting goat, water troughs and even some picnic tables for visitors to the center, Boy Scout officials said.
Madere canvassed Rincon businesses to obtain monetary donations as well as donations of volunteer assistance and materials to build the habitat. In addition, he implemented a “Buy a Board” fundraiser, where a donation of $20 would ensure that the donor’s name or business would be etched onto the side of one of the buildings.
Madere burned their names onto the wall after the project was complete.
Volunteers spent several weeks helping build the pole barn and fencing in time to meet a DNR deadline. Madere organized a work-day for his Scout troop, along with parents. Scout leaders and other friends of the wildlife rehabilitation center donated a work-day so that a myriad of tasks could be accomplished. The project was completed in 2012, with over 390 volunteer hours.
Madere earned his Eagle Scout badge and his project was submitted to the National Boy Scouts of America office to be considered for the national award at the recommendation of his Troop Master.
To earn the Hornaday award, a Scout must have earned three specific required merit badges and several others on a list. The Scout also must select one of several areas of focus and complete at least one major project.
Madere’s project met the Fish and Wildlife Conservation requirements, but the scope of his project actually touched elements of other areas of conservation, including soil and water conservation, cleanup of a water source in the nearby woods on the property; resource recovery, collecting and recycling old materials such as wood that could be reused; energy conservation, installation of solar energy electric generation for the fencing.
The Hornaday awards
The Hornaday awards program was created to recognize those who have made significant contributions to conservation. It was begun in 1914 by Dr. William T. Hornaday, director of the New York Zoological Park and founder of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Dr. Hornaday was an active and outspoken champion of natural resource conservation and a leader in saving the American bison from extinction. He named the award the Wildlife Protection Medal. Its purpose was to challenge Americans to work constructively for wildlife conservation and habitat protection. After his death in 1937, the award was renamed in Dr. Hornaday’s honor and became a Boy Scouts of America award.
About the Hornaday Award:
The Hornaday Awards are highly prized by those who have received them: Only about 1,100 medals, or about 13 per year have been awarded over the past 80 years for the entire National Scouting Program. These awards represent a substantial commitment of time and energy by individuals who have learned the meaning of the conservation/environmental ethic. Any Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or Venturer willing to devote the time and energy to work on a project based on sound scientific principles and guided by a conservation professional or a well-versed layperson can qualify for one of the Hornaday Awards. The awards often take months to complete, so activities have to be planned well in advance.
The fundamental purpose of the Hornaday Awards program is to encourage learning by the participants and to increase public awareness about natural resource conservation. Understanding and practicing sound stewardship of natural resources and environmental protection strengthens Scouting’s emphasis on respecting the outdoors. The goal of this awards program is to encourage and recognize truly outstanding efforts undertaken by Scouting units, Scouts and Venturers, adult Scouters, and other individuals, corporations, and institutions that have contributed significantly to natural resource conservation and environmental protection.