Gavin Nelson
2021
West Piney Bear Boxes
Proposal Letter
Gavin Nelson
3864 E 380 N
Rigby, ID, 83442
9/14/20
Mr. Larson, 3850 E 300 N
Rigby High School
Rigby, ID, 83442
Dear Mr. Larson,
For my senior project of my senior year of high school I will be using reformatting my eagle scout project which I completed about a year ago. For my project, I devised and implemented a plan to install bear proof garbage containers in all the campsites of West piney Girls Camp which is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is located at the end of Forest Rd 230, Ririe, ID, 83443. The reason why I chose that particular project was because I have always enjoyed the outdoors and wanted to support recreation there, via installing bear proof garbage containers. Before that project, I had no previous experience with the installation of any outdoor recreational support equipment. In the future I want to continue to serve people and the outdoors, by supporting recreational opportunities and advocating for the environment. Three skills that I learned throughout this project were: 1). Always have a Plan B, a Plan C, and sometimes a Plan D; 2). To work hard and do the absolute best job you can always, and to never leave a job, project, or chore unfinished; 3). To organize volunteers, supplies, equipment and other resources efficiently. The whole project was a real learning sketch and eye-opening experience for me and helped prepare me for my life after high school.
The topic of my research was, simply put, how to install bearproof garbage containers. These research methods were mostly limited to discussing with the officials, officers, and directors of the West Piney Girls Camp on how said containers should be installed. Other methods included browsing and surfing the internet for the materials needed in the installation, and consulting with adults that were much wiser than I, including my Scoutmaster and my parents.
Job opportunities with outdoor recreational equipment include a broad range of possible careers. For example, there are salesmen who advocate for the companies they work for by going to department stores and selling their company’s products, say camping gear. In order for that camping gear to be sold by the salesman it has to be designed and manufactured, which can be very specialized at times and is another career possibility. However, before these products can be sold to the public they must be tested. This usually somebody spending a weekend in the mountains giving the said camping gear a test run. They then review it, say what they like about it and what could use improvement. Perhaps the only true test of outdoor recreational equipment is when it’s put into action for real, in the hands of consumers. These consumers will often go on paid outdoor outings with professional guides for just about any outdoor activity. Among these lie a host of other job opportunities supporting outdoor recreation through research and proper management of the environment, including those in natural resources – ranging everything from a Fish Hatchery Director or hydrologist, to a wildlife biologist or ecologist, to a soil scientist or geologist.
The steps for Eagle Project were as follows: 1). Planning - Project Proposal preparation (including obtaining necessary signatures); 2). Planning - Project Plan preparation; 3). Purchase of necessary materials and obtaining necessary tools and supplies; 4). Transportation of Helpers, Materials, Tools, and Supplies to West Piney Girls camp; 5). Pour concrete for an unfinished bear proof garbage container location; 6). Installation of Bear proof garbage containers (including: transportation from West Piney Parking lot to appointed locations, bolting down units; placing nuts, washers, lock washers, nuts, and epoxy; vacuuming concrete dust out of drilled hole). My work was demonstrated by following those steps, with plenty of pictures and paperwork for documentation. Time constraints were not big issue for me, and neither were finances.
This was a very exciting project from start to end. I was very enthused to begin, and was happy to provide and carry out the service needed by the West Piney Girls Camp, although there were times of frustration.
Sincerely,
Gavin Nelson
Gavin Nelson, Rigby High school Senior – Class of 2021
Forms
Evidence
This document gives a description of my project and how I plan on giving leadership. It also denotes all the materials and supplies needed for my project.
Unpacking and loading the bear boxes up for transportation to West Piney.
Here are the bear boxes all loaded up, and ready to be transported to West Piney
Eating Lunch at West Piney.
Unloading the bear boxes at west Piney
Mixing the concrete for an unfinished bear box location
All the volunteers who helped me with my project on the initial project day.
Me with a bear box installed at West Piney. There were 11 more bear boxes like this installed around the rest of the camp.
This is the sign in/ out sheet that I used to record my working hours. It should be noted that my planning hours are not a part of my working hours, but are also recorded on this sheet as well.
This page lists the total costs of all the Materials, Supplies, Tools, and Miscellaneous needs for my project. It should be noted that the actual bear boxes that were installed were provided by the project beneficiary, the FM group of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Me being awarded the eagle scout award at my court of honor. My project mentor is the one at the podium. My parents are the ones standing on the far right.
Me and the various scoutmasters that I've had over my years of scouting, as well as two fellow scouts on the far left. This picture was also taken at my Eagle Scout court of honor.
Research Section
REI CO-OP. “Find Jobs – Find Careers”. https://rei.jobs/careers/SearchJobs 15 Sept. 2020.
OutdoorIndustryJobs.com. OutdoorIndustryJobs.com, 2020, https://www.outdoorindustryjobs.com. 15 Sept. 2020.
SH Inc. “20 Best Outdoor Recreation Jobs (Hiring Jobs) | Simply Hired.” www.simplyhired. https://www.simplyhired.com/search?q=outdoor+adventure+recreation&job=tQyEwD0r_Mqm-V2hGYMFVA6OENXNcEbw0kYo8gAu8a_BOZQBNDyYqw. 15 Sept. 2020.
Outdoor Ed LLC. “Job Postings | OutdoorEd.com.” Outdoored.com, 2019, outdoored.com/jobs. 15 Sept. 2020.
National Recreation Park Association (NRPA). “Park Careers, Recreation Jobs | National Recreation and Park Association | NRPA.” www.nrpa.org, https://www.nrpa.org/careers-education/careers/
