Featured Volunteer: William Lauder and Boy Scout Troop 257!

When it came time for William Lauder, 18, to begin his final project to earn his Eagle Scout certification, he wanted to do something different.

As a member of Troop 257 based out of the Clovis Elks Lodge, Lauder had seen many of his fellow scouts pursue projects in the mountains and area surrounding the Central Valley. However, Lauder wasn't interested in following the crowd. "The past members of my troop always did Eagle projects out in the mountains or other places that were far away," Lauder said. "I thought it would be really cool if I did something for a change, and did my project here in the city where it could help people."

Lauder was directed to The Discovery Center to find a project that would help him to make an impact locally. Educator Roni Weil took Lauder under her wing, and gave him a tour of The Discovery Center, pointing out potential Eagle projects along the way.

When Lauder came upon a large tree in need of repair, he knew he's found the perfect Eagle project. "She walked me to this big Sequoia Redwood tree," Lauder said. "She told me the tree was in dire need of repair, and I thought that would be a really good project."

From left to right: Arnold Napoles, Joshua VanDevelde, Daniel Martin, Corey Matteson, Joey Vink, Jacob Mcareign, Brian Oakley, Mike Vink, William Lauder (in front)

Eagle Scout projects are designed to demonstrate the leadership skills of scouts by placing them in the role of a project manager for a service project to benefit the environment and the community. Lauder spent nearly a month planning the project and preparing to lead his troop in repairing the tree.

These preparations included preparing a written description of the project, detailing the current state of the tree, and the improvements to be made. Lauder also had to state the methods that would be used in the project, and how he would repair the tree. With the proper preparations in place, Lauder then had to recruit members of his troop to work on the tree under his leadership.

It took Lauder and his troop over four days to complete the repairs to the Redwood. Coming to the park on Saturdays, the troops members spent the full day brining the exhibit back to its former state. "The Redwood Round was boy scout project back in the 70s," said Janet Berry, Executive Director of The Discovery Center. "I thought it was important to find a scout to carry on the tradition, and was thrilled when William was up to taking on such a large project."

Presently, three more scout projects are in progress at The Discovery Center. These include a pond clean up, a tortoises pin overhaul, and repair of the bridges and park benches on site.

"The Board of Directors not only appreciates the work these scouts do, but we feel it is important to help them be successful with these projects," said Berry. "We want to be there for children of all ages conducting on site projects, as well as our volunteers assisting our educators. We would like to give them the leadership skills that will make them better citizens, and start out early to instill in our youth how important and fulfilling it is to give back to the community."

The Discovery Center is happy to assist anyone looking for a volunteer project for themselves or their organization. Click the following links for more information about our upcoming Park Clean Up Day, or volunteer positions with The Discovery Center, or call 251-5533 for questions about your special project idea.