Not every child or young adult has gotten lost in the video gaming world, especially not Max Lyon of Boy Scout Troop 72 in Queen Anne who just completed his Eagle Project restoring habitat at the Black River Riparian Forest in North Renton.
Lyon, a 17-year-old senior at Garfield High School, organized and led a group of 55 volunteers to spread woodchips across a half-mile trail that lines the Black River, and remove invasive plants and trash.
"The project was large enough so that it felt like I was accomplishing a lot and I do feel very accomplished," Lyon said.
After discovering the Black River Riparian Forest, Lyon couldn't believe that a place 25 minutes outside of Seattle is where 400 heron return every spring. When it came time to choose his Eagle Project, Lyon knew he wanted to work on the area so he teamed up with Herons Forever - an active group that works to protect the herons' environment in the forest.
"The heron population there is not endangered but it needs the support from people like Herons Forever who keep that land from being bought by neighboring businesses," Lyon said. "My project was to let people know it's still a public place that's important to the community."
After spending a day in the forest, Lyon said his interest in the environment has only grown. At Garfield High School Lyon participates in Earth Corps and helped developed the school's composting system.
"Max is sort of a jack of all trades. He's fantastic with people and we're just very proud of the fact he decided to finish up this whole process of Eagle Scout," said Anita Lehman, Lyon's mother. "It's important these days for kids to start something and finish something. I see that as a real advantage to being successful."
After high school, Lyon plans to pursue a college education in nursing, possibly at the University of Washington or the University of Portland. For now Lyon will focus on finishing his last year of high school and completing the application for his Eagle Scout badge, the last tier for his trek as a Boy Scout.[[In-content Ad]]
