On Saturday, April 2, a few intrepid Scouts joined ASM Greg Gurley in installing the first two rain barrels as part of a conservation project initiated by the Friends of Cabin John Creek, earning a few SSL hours along the way!

The Friends of Cabin John Creek, a local watershed stewardship group, has received a grant to educate Boy Scouts about storm water runoff issues and how they affect water quality in our watershed and the Chesapeake Bay. The Montgomery County Water Quality Protection Fund is providing the funding for this grant, administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. The grant goal is to help Scouts install 50 rain barrels in the Cabin John Creek watershed by April 2017.

As the initial step to install these rain barrels throughout the Cabin John Creek community, Mr. Gurley worked with two Scouts in a pilot project. The rain barrels will capture water from roofs, reducing the initial volume of storm water – and pollutants and sediment — flowing into Cabin John Creek. The houseowners can then use the water in their yard. Special screens were also installed on the barrels to keep mosquitoes from using the barrels as a breeding ground.

This will be an ongoing effort to install these barrels throughout the community. Those scouts interested in participating should contact Mr. Gurley at ggurley1@gmail.com.