From camp cleanups to providing leadership and supporting STEM education to Eagle Scout projects, PPL Electric Utilities has a long history of helping both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts with various community-minded and environmentally focused projects. Through the years, we’ve had the pleasure of supporting numerous young scouts in achieving their goals through a shared commitment to education, wildlife conservation and the environment.

That’s why we jumped at the chance to support Boy Scout Garrett Hawk, of Boy Scout Troop 41, as he worked on his Eagle Scout project this past year. Through our Community Roots Program, we helped Garrett with a donation of native pollinator-friendly plants as he created an all-new area at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Slatington, Pennsylvania. The updated area includes a pollinator garden, sensory path and both play and picnic areas. And, after some hard work over the summer, we’re happy to report that Garrett passed his Eagle Board of Review this past November and will be officially named an Eagle Scout in the spring of 2024.

“I believe that my project has benefited our community because I was able to take an area that was not being used and create a space that will now attract visitors and encourage people, young and old, to enjoy being outdoors with nature,” said Hawk. “My project involved environmental stewardship, conservation and sustainability and shows people how to enjoy, respect and use what we have. Through PPL Electric’s generous donation, I was able to plant several pollinator gardens filled with native plants. The gardens will provide food and habitat and the pollinators that they will attract will help spread seeds and pollen throughout the valley.”

Our Community Roots Program was also equally as excited to help Girl Scout Troop 6514 with a similar project involving pollinator-friendly plants. This past year, we donated native pollinator-friendly wildflower seeds to help the scouts create seed bombs, which are small ping-pong sized balls that are made of clay and soil designed to spread wildflowers and create habitats and food for important pollinators. We also connected with some Girl Scouts during Allentown’s Earth Day in the Park celebration who were not only attracted to our native plants and wildflower seeds, but also took some home to create their very own pollinator patch.

These projects are just a few of the many we have helped the scouts with over the years. We’ve assisted with other Eagle Scout projects like building 50-foot-tall Osprey nesting platforms near Pennsburg, Tamaqua and in the Poconos — part of a dozen we’ve built in the past 25 years in partnership with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. We’ve had employees volunteer time to speak to older scouts and take part in camp cleanups. And, we have made contributions to support STEM education and helped with the annual Take the Lead event for the Girl Scouts.

“We’re always happy to help other environmentally conscious individuals and organizations,” said PPL Electric Utilities Environmental Project Manager Meg Welker. “Especially when we see the next generation getting involved. Over the years, we’ve assisted both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in environmental stewardship efforts and it’s always nice to see the passion they have for helping to conserve and protect our little corner of the world.”

Providing safe, reliable and sustainable energy is a big part of what we do at PPL Electric. At the same time, we’re also focused on growing and supporting the communities that we all live and work in. This includes environmentally focused projects that help lessen the impact we all have on it. For that reason, we’re proud to support the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, as well as their initiatives, as we know that we’re investing in the future as well as the future of the communities we serve.