I forgot to mention in my last post about the William T. Hornaday Unit Award for Distinguished Service in Conservation being bestowed on Troop 9 at the Eagle Court of Honor.
This awards program was created to recognize those that have made
significant contributions to conservation. It was begun in 1914 by Dr.
William T. Hornaday, director of the New York Zoological Park and
founder of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Dr. Hornaday was an
active and outspoken champion of natural resource conservation and a
leader in saving the American bison from extinction. He named the award
the Wildlife Protection Medal.
After his death in 1937, the award was renamed in Dr. Hornaday's honor and became a Boy Scouts of America award.
In the early 1970s, the present awards program was established with funding help from
DuPont. At that time, the late Dr. Hornaday's idea of conservation was broadened to include environmental awareness.
Approximately 1,100 medals have been awarded over the past 80 years.
These awards represent a substantial commitment of time and energy by
individuals who have learned the meaning of a conservation/environmental
ethic. Any Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or Venturer willing to devote the
time and energy to work on a project based on sound scientific
principles and guided by a conservation professional or a well-versed
layperson can qualify for one of the Hornaday Awards.
