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A wonderful example of passionate youth making a difference for wildlife

Next time you visit Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary, you will notice 35 new native trees and shrubs, all marked with green tape. These new additions were procured and planted by Caleb Wilson, an intrepid young Boy Scout working to earn his Eagle Scout ranking.

Caleb led a group of about 20 other scouts, students and friends in a successful restoration project on Saturday, March 7. Aside from the planting, the scouts pulled invasive weeds and groomed the trails.

This project was a big undertaking, and we were so impressed with how Caleb managed it. Before the actual work happened, he visited the sanctuary on numerous occasions, meeting with staff and volunteers to get a sense of which plants were needed to improve the habitat. Once he had a thorough handle on that, he presented his project proposal for approval from the parents and scout leaders. His project was approved and he raised over $600 to purchase plants, supplies, and food for his crew.

One surprising hurdle was finding native trees and shrubs at a nursery!  Many Houston native plants are not grown and sold commercially, but Caleb worked with Trees for Houston to make it happen.

On the day of his project, Caleb and his mother Valerie arrived at the sanctuary at 7:30 am to set up for his volunteers. He thought of every important detail and led the group with assertiveness and confidence which allowed our sanctuary manager, Caleb's mom, and the scout leaders to breathe easy, step aside and watch the work get done.

The sanctuary looks refreshed with new plants that will provide shade, erosion control, and habitat for our native birds, animals, and reptiles. We are thankful to Caleb for choosing us for his Eagle Scout Service Project and congratulate him on his accomplishment!

By Lauren Miheli, 
Houston Audubon Volunteer Coordinator and 
Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary Manager
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All of our sanctuaries are closed at least through April 30 due to the stay home orders. Please visit our website for the latest updates.
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