By Madeleine Johnson, Social Editor
MONROE — Russell Grant has had plenty of opportunities to immerse himself in his love for animals and the environment, thanks to his involvement with the Boy Scouts.
So when he had to select an Eagle Scout project, the Monroe Township High School sophomore decided to do some landscaping work for Mill Lake School, the elementary school he attended.
”We sent out a letter to the Board of Education asking if they needed anything done,” Russell said April 21. “We were wondering if we could do something to the entranceway, like mulch and plant shrubs and trees. This one entranceway, the soil they had there couldn’t grow anything, so we wanted to put mulch down.”
Russell, members of his family, fellow Scouts and a few of his friends were on hand to assist with the April 26 project — a project nearly a year in the making.
”I’m excited,” he said. “I’ve been planning for this since last June.”
His hopes for the project were twofold: to beautify the school and help younger Scouts realize the benefits of working toward the Eagle Scout rank.
”I’m hoping that when I’m finished, the school will look nicer. I think we’re even getting a plaque to dedicate to a custodian,” Russell said. “The Scouts who are one year lower than me are getting closer to the next level, so I’m hoping this will show them the project can be hard, but can be completed with the proper help and planning.”
And Russell certainly did have a host of eager helpers working with him at Mill Lake. He said that this project was just one example of how others have played a role in his accomplishments.
”It amazes me that I had so much help,” Russell said. “If I was to do this on my own, I probably wouldn’t have gotten (to begin the Eagle Scout project) nearly as fast. It probably wouldn’t have been a smooth ride.”
With his project behind him, Russell already knows what he’ll be doing once he attains the highest rank in Scouting.
”When I do become an Eagle Scout, I’ll be there as someone who will try to help younger Scouts,” he said. “I’m not going to try and teach them things I might kind of know, but I’d help them in the things I was able to learn easily, like first aid and cooking.”
Russell’s plans for his future extend well beyond his Scouting responsibilities. He has already started to look at colleges in the hopes of pursuing an environmental science degree.
”I’ve always loved the environment, and through a required environmental Eagle Scout badge, I found out that I liked it even more,” Russell said. “The exact major that interests me is natural resources and wildlife management. You’re out in the field observing animals and recording what you see. I would enjoy that a lot.”
