and landscape area below Wetland Center
by Edward Wu
For my Eagle Project, I
had to terrace the entire hillside bordering the educational
building. I also had to remove the weeds from the curved
hillside close to the edge of the cement steps with the
railings. In addition, I planted 15 native plants in my
terracing and a few trees on the curved hillside. Then the
entire project area was covered with woodchips. The project took
over 175 hours to complete.
Area for weeds to be removed.
Area after covered with woodchips.
Using the railroad ties for terracing
This project allowed me to
utilize the eleven leadership skills to help complete my project and to
ensure the safety of my volunteers. Communicating - An important
skill that I used to meet with my beneficiary and inform the volunteers
of the time and date of the project. Knowing and using resources of
the group – I was able to determine, which individuals were more
suitable for a particular job. I was also able to ask for the advice
from some of the individuals who have had previous experience.
Understanding Characteristics and Needs of the group – I had to
understand the characteristics of each individual and organize them into
groups that would work together, not argue against each other.
Representing the group – I would meet ahead of time with my
beneficiary to make sure my plans had no flaws. This way, when we
started working, we would minimize the amount of errors. Setting the
example – I set a good example by helping in difficult situations
and directing the work efficiently. I practiced the safety rules and
corrected others when they were breaking them. Planning – My plan
was mostly correct, except I had to move some plants because of
unforeseen circumstances. I also had to extend the project work days
into an extra weekend. However, I carried out my project on the planned
days, which were successes. Controlling group performance – This
means I had to make sure everyone was on task and not slacking off.
Whenever they seemed to be having trouble, I would join in to help
inspire them to put more effort. Evaluating – Everyone stayed on
task and helped each other out. My ideas and other people’s ideas helped
make this project a success. Effective Teaching – At the
beginning of each meeting, I set aside some time for the safety rules
and quick briefing about my project. I made sure everyone understood
before the project began, since it’s easier to correct a problem before
it occurs. Sharing Leadership – I had some scouts who had been in
this area before, so I could give them instructions to lead a small
group. This way, I didn’t have to constantly be in several different
places at once. Counseling – I had to persuade some people to do
certain jobs because they were unwilling. However, once they were
satisfied, work was quickly sped up. Overall, the project was a complete
success allowed me to improve my leadership skills.
would like to thank Best Trees and the Math/Science Nucleus for their donations.
I would also like to thank the volunteers who helped make my project a success:
Allen Ko, Wayne Hsu, Alex Chin, Vincent Wong, Eric Wong, Eric Hsu, George Yang,
Jane Wu, Roger Chin, Mei Lan Liu, Lilian Ma, Kelvin Lu, Alex Lu, Patrick Yuan,
Len-Bau Huang, Ryan Han, and Irene Han