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What a way to pass the time away during the summer. That’s right. Not exactly how one might plan to spend their summer or what one would expect to see at the Scouts National Jamboree, but it was true. The 2005 National Scout was recently held at Fort AP Hill near Bowling Green, Virginia. A sprawling military facility of over 10 square miles played host to the event featuring over 40,000 scouts and scouters. Add in visitors and a visit by the President and the attendance swelled to 70,000 on some days. I had the pleasure of seeing it all first hand by representing Maine Wastewater Control Association, (MWWCA), Portland Water District and Water Environment Federation (WEF) at the jamboree. I participated in the WEF exhibit at the conservation area. I was one of over 30 professionals who worked in the WEF booth. Staff came from across the country to participate and educate the scouts about water and wastewater. There were people from Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Florida and of course Virginia. And I was the only New Englander, AYUH. I stayed on site in the luxurious accommodations of a carnival tent filled with many cots. The tents were completed with the latest in grass and mud flooring and our in-tent entertainment center consisted of a nearby loud speaker to relay up to date information and daily revelry. You just go ahead and try to get these types of accommodations on one of the internet travel sites. At the WEF booth we educated the scouts on many aspects. Over a period of 10 days, we had 14,000 participants come through the WEF booth which was comprised of five stations. The first station was a watershed map where we spoke about what watersheds are and how we all must share the water. The participants were asked to mark their watershed on the map and to see how their use of water affects many others. At the
second station, we explained the importance of the infrastructure and
spoke to the scouts about what should and shouldn’t be put down the
drain. A major focus was placed on the simple steps homeowners can
undertake to prevent sewer overflows and back up due to oil and grease
disposal.
After coming out of the drain, the scouts entered a tent where they learned what happens at a treatment plant and the importance of reusing biosolids for soil conditioning and as fertilizers. Upon exit from the treatment plant, the scouts completed the station and received their passport stamp allowing them to continue down the conservation trail. The conservation trail was over ¾ mile long and featured over twenty other exhibits designed to enhance their knowledge of the environment and ecology. Among the other agencies participating were: Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); National Park Service (NPS); Virginia Department of Forestry; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Attending the Jamboree was definitely an event that can only be appreciated by experiencing it first hand. I would like to thank all who supported me on this very rewarding public education endeavor. Job
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At this
point the scouts were “flushed” down the drain to the treatment plant
via two 30” sections of pipe. Prior to entering the piping, scouts
were advised it is okay to do this at the jamboree, but not at home.
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