boy scouts division

Heroes of Conservation Boy Scout of the Year Award Winner:

Michael Browne
Milton, Mass.
Troop 5

A year ago, angler and high school sophomore Michael Browne realized that his favorite hobby might be harmful to waterfowl. I got to thinking about what happened to the lead weights we lose, he says. He found studies that said birds sometimes swallow the lead and can be poisoned by it. So Browne worked with his troop and the Toxic Use Reduction Institute at the University of Massachusetts, to launch the Get the Lead Out of Fishing campaign, a program that exchanges people's lead weights for environmentally friendly ones. To get more support, Browne presented his project to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

enter your project

If you or someone you know is working on a conservation project, we want to reward your efforts.

Click here to fill out our entry form with information on your project. All nominees are eligible for the grand prize and runner up cash prizes.