GREATER ST. LOUIS AREA COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA

Forest Sustainability at the Beaumont Scout Reservation

Showcasing Sustainable Forest Management and Indigenous Awareness in a Demonstration Forest

Why this Project Matters

Today’s youth face barriers to experiencing the natural world around them, and they will face complex environmental challenges in the future. But our kids’ contact with nature keeps shrinking. Today’s emphasis on screen time and indoor play is linked to psychological and physical effects like obesity, loneliness, depression, and attention problems. Getting kids into forests and helping them learn about sustainability is good for forests and good for kids. This project helps to break down barriers between youth and the natural world through an exploration of sustainable forestry and Indigenous heritage. The ultimate aim is to help shape the next generation of sustainability leaders.

How This Project Is Showcasing Sustainable Forest Management and Indigenous Awareness

This project will develop a demonstration forest showcasing sustainable forest management practices that align with SFI’s mission and vision. The demonstration forest will be on the Beaumont Scout Reservation in Southwestern St. Louis County, Missouri. This multi-use property sits on 2,400 acres of wooded, rolling hills. With guidance from the Osage Nation Historic Preservation Office and Washington University Bruder Center for American Indian Studies, the project will also raise visitors’ level of awareness of the Indigenous people who inhabited the area prior to European settlement. Educators visiting the demonstration forest will be trained in relevant Project Learning Tree (PLT) activities. PLT is SFI’s educational initiative.

SFI’s Contribution

The SFI Community Grant Program is supporting this project, PLT materials will also play a central role, along with sustainable forest products experts from an SFI-certified organization.

Partners

This partnership includes youth educators, Indigenous representatives, staff from an SFI-certified organization, state conservation officials, and academics.

• Project lead: Greater St. Louis Area Council Boy Scouts of America
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative
• Project Learning Tree
• Independent Stave Company (SFI-certified organization)
• Osage Nation Historic Preservation Office
• Washington University Bruder Center for American Indian Studies
• Missouri State Department of Conservation (SFI-certified organization)

Related Information

Engaging youth on sustainable forestry at Philmont Scout Ranch

Philmont Scout Ranch— Philmont Visiting Forester Program Development

Project Learning Tree Activity Correlations to Boy Scouts Adventures and Merit Badges

About Greater St. Louis Area Council Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.” The Scouting organization is composed of more than 1 million youth members between the ages of five and 21 and more than 628,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. The Greater St. Louis Area Council provides youth with character development programs and values-based leadership training. The Council, one of the largest in the nation, has more than 24,400 youth members and 12,000 adult volunteers. They come from 63 counties in southeast Missouri, southern and central Illinois, Metro East, and the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Learn more.