Take Pride in America in Southern Nevada teams up with Boy Scouts

Boy Scout Troop 181 and Eagle Scout Candidate take on

litter and dumping at Desert National Wildlife Refuge

Environmental stewardship and community service were in full display on May 13, 2006 at Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Take Pride in America in Southern Nevada and Boy Scout Troop 181 teamed up to tackle the litter and dumping problem on an access road leading into the refuge. The clean-up effort also helped Eagle Scout candidate Zac Ipson in his quest to earn the highest rank in scouting.

Approximately 60 boy scouts and their family and friends ventured out to the three-mile section of the access road at 7:30 that morning. By noon, they had removed 60 cubic yards of waste, including discarded appliances, furniture, landscape debris, household waste, and thousands of shotgun shells.

“This was a very rewarding experience for our program,” said Doug Joslin, project manager of Take Pride in America in Southern Nevada. “In a matter of hours, we were able to see a huge improvement in a very important wildlife refuge in Southern Nevada. In addition to that, we had young people giving back to their community and helping one of their own achieve membership in an elite group.”

Joslin also thanked Republic Services of Southern Nevada for its sponsorship. “Republic donated the waste receptacles and disposal services, which saved us hundreds of dollars.”

The Desert National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Take Pride in America in Southern Nevada is funded by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act and managed by the UNLV Public Lands Institute on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service.