Sustainability and scouting go hand-in-hand, as the Boy Scouts of America have been a leader in conservation, working since 1910 to preserve our environment. “Leave No Trace” is the act of leaving the environment in a better place than you found it.
Today, Feb. 8, annually recognizes National Boy Scout Day and two Williams employees took some time to share their thoughts on sustainability and Scouting.
Steve Beatie, training programs manager in Safety & Operational Discipline, earned his Eagle Scout in 1981. Scouting is a Beatie family tradition, and his son Cole is an Eagle Project away from earning this award.
“One of the things that was drilled into my head with Leave No Trace is to leave something as good or better than how you found it,” said Beatie. “I remember getting in a line and walking the
campground picking up tiny pieces of aluminum foil. I still use some of those same principles today. I have taken unused wood that hasn’t been burned and put it back in the woods so the next person can enjoy the natural beauty of the site,” he said.
Steve Beatie works on a landscape wall with this sons for a Boy Scout project.
Matt Moshier, an engineer, earned his Eagle Scout in 2007. “The most important thing I learned from being a Scout was to treat others and the environment with respect and to carry oneself with integrity,” he said.
Matt Moshier in his Boy Scout uniform.
“As someone who hikes a lot, one thing that has always impressed me is how Williams takes the time to make sure that disturbed areas are properly reclaimed. Williams exemplifies the Leave No Trace principal by working with regulatory agencies and inspectors to ensure that proper environmental controls and monitoring are in place to protect rivers and wildlife. There are a lot of avid anglers and outdoorsmen and women within Williams and we spend extra effort to ensure that we minimize or completely mitigate our effect on these resources,” said Moshier.
Leaving no trace is everyone’s responsibility. At Williams, we take safety and environmental stewardship seriously and it’s one of our Core Values and Beliefs. We are fully committed to the health and safety of our workforce and the protection of our neighbors, the environment and our assets.