Navigating Orienteering

Despite today’s use of GPS and Apple Maps, the joy of navigating via paper map has been kept near and dear by the scouts of local Scout Troop 737. Senior Bailey Leonard, a member of this troop, has dedicated her Eagle Project to providing a free and accessible way for everyday visitors of Staunton Park to learn how to navigate with only a compass and map. This is called orienteering, one of the oldest forms of navigation that has been adopted into an interactive sport.

“I want scouts and people in the area to have the opportunity to be able to learn this skill and rank up if they are in scouts,” Leonard said.

After 3 years of dedication, Bailey is now pursuing the highest achievement obtainable in the Scouts, the Eagle Award. In order to achieve this, a scout must execute a comprehensive service project that betters their community. After participating in an orienteering course and “falling in love with it,” Bailey decided that she would use this opportunity to spread the knowledge of manual navigation and dedicate her efforts towards Staunton Park’s new orienteering course.

“I put some tripods and markers into Staunton State Park for people to use as navigational points with a map and data coordinates,” Leonard said. “This course is completely free and funded purely by donations.”

With the help of friends and family from Troop 737, the markers were built, the map was drawn out, the compasses were donated, and the plan came together with scout teamwork.

“We took the markers in wheelbarrows and baskets, and we put them all around Staunton Park,” junior Eli Kitchner said. “We carried them up trails to Bailey’s predetermined spots.”

The four mile trail should take visitors roughly an hour to complete with either their own compass, or one of the ten compasses that are currently housed in the main guest center and are free to use for anyone who would like to participate in the course. 

“Scout’s has really helped me in all aspects of life and I will forever be grateful for what it has taught me and the people that have been introduced into my life because of it,’ Leonard said. “Thank you to my troop and the people that have supported this project big and small.”