Grey Towers, Conservation Scouting Merit Badge Awarded to 30 Scouts

Scouts Honored with Conservation Badges at Grey Towers National Historic Site

Grey Towers Heritage Association proudly hosted a Scouting Badge Award Ceremony on May 4 at the historic Grey Towers National Historic Site, recognizing 30 Scouts from New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland for their achievements in conservation and forestry education.

Held at the ancestral home of Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service and a founding figure in American conservation, the ceremony honored the Scouts’ commitment to environmental stewardship. Through interactive educational programs and hands-on activities, Scouts earned badges that celebrate their understanding of sustainable forestry and conservation practices.

“Grey Towers isn’t just a historic site – it’s a living classroom that brings forestry to life for these Scouts,” said Jeff McQuaid, Program Coordinator and Vice President at Grey Towers Heritage Association. “Almost one hundred Scouts have successfully completed the program since we initiated it three years ago. It’s incredibly meaningful to carry on the Pinchot family’s legacy of conservation and forestry through the next generation of conservation leaders.”

The event highlights Grey Towers’ ongoing mission to inspire youth engagement in conservation and educate future stewards of the environment, building on the Pinchot legacy that continues to shape natural resource management in the United States.

“We met with a U.S. Forester, learned about forest management, identified trees, shrubs, invasive trees, plants and insects, and learned about and climbed the reconstructed Fire Towers at Grey Towers,” explained one Scout. They also learned that Gifford Pinchot, in collaboration with President Theodore Roosevelt, helped create the Boys Scouts of America (scouting was founded in England.)

“The public is welcome to tour the magnificent grounds of Grey Towers, hike the Forest Discovery Trail, see the Fire Tower, and visit our museum, burial ground and gift shop,” adds Will Voelkel, Board Member of Grey Towers Heritage Association.