Abigail Guiheen’s Eagle Scout project has left an indelible mark on the Malverne community, combating marine pollution by placing medallions on storm drains.
Guiheen, 17, a member of Valley Stream’s all-girls Scouting America Troop 99 and Malverne resident, placed “No Dumping” medallions around all of the storm drains in Malverne to deter litterbugs from polluting Long Island’s waterways.
“We did this project to bring awareness that the pollution that goes down storm drains affects marine wildlife and ecosystems,” Guiheen explained, since runoff from Long Island storm drains does not get treated and goes directly back into the waterways.
One of the key aspects of an Eagle Scout project is fulfilling the Scout oath to help other people at all times. Guiheen decided that she wanted to make a positive impact on her community while earning her Eagle Scout rank.
“My end goal is really to educate the community I’m in and help protect the marine wildlife and ecosystems that are directly affected by pollution that goes down these storm drains,” Guiheen told the Herald.
In addition to providing a service to the community and fulfilling the Scout commitment to serve other people, one of the primary goals of an Eagle Scout service project is to learn or display leadership skills. Guiheen displayed her leadership by mapping out the storm drains in Malverne so her fellow Scouts could help with the project. Nearly 20 other Scouts joined in the project, assisting Guiheen in removing old medallions and replacing them with new ones over the course of several days at the end of June.
To complete her Eagle Scout project, Guiheen was forced to overcome a few obstacles. “The project had its own set of challenges,” she said. “Weather conditions and the heat wave made it difficult to complete within a timeframe.”
While many Scouts take four to six years to ascend to Eagle Scout rank, Guiheen’s work ethic and discipline allowed her to reach this goal in just three years.
“I’ve been in the Scouts since 2022,” Guiheen said. “It was definitely a lot, but it was the main thing that I’ve been working on the past two years to get to where I am.
“With a shortened timeline of trying to become an Eagle Scout, it definitely lit a fire in me and made me work a lot harder for it — but I’ve had very supportive mentors and people around me to help me do it,” Guiheen said.
One of her biggest supporters is her mother, Michelle Guiheen. “I’m very impressed. It was a big undertaking, but she had a lot of support,” Michelle said.
She helped her daughter with the project by checking maps of Malverne and removing old medallions.
She also praised her daughter’s character, in addition to her accomplishments. “She takes on a lot of big roles, and she handles it very well. She does things even when they’re out of her comfort zone,” she added.
Malverne Mayor Tim Sullivan assisted with the project. Sullivan, a former Boy Scout, looks forward to volunteering with community-based projects like this one. “Thankfully, there’s a lot of participation within the community for these Scout projects,” he said.
The effort to stop pollution and preserve the environment has been going on for a long time on Long Island.
“Hurricane Sandy highlighted the importance of protecting our estuaries, streams and back bays,” Sullivan explained. “Over years of our waterways experiencing pollution and the dying off of native vegetation, our barriers of protection eroded. I’d like to thank Abigail and her family for their hard work and coordination in this project.”
Guiheen’s advice to any future Scouts: “To any scout trying to reach Eagle rank, stay on top of everything and find people who you know can help motivate you through it,” she told the Herald.
