Grossmont Student Improves Fire Station to Earn Eagle Scout

The following article was written by Aubrey Badger, a journalism student at Arizona State University, and Austin's older sister.

The water-heavy plants outside of Fire Station 12 in La Mesa have been renovated into a new drought-tolerant and fireproof landscape thanks to Austin Badger, a 16-year-old Life Scout and junior at Grossmont High School.  

Badger has been a Boy Scout for 11 years, and this project marks one of his final steps to earning the rank of Eagle Scout.  

Along with help from family, friends, and the rest of Troop 324, he removed a basic non-drought-tolerant landscape and replanted some of the existing plants into bare areas, as well as adding new fireproof and drought resistant plants.

The new landscaping will reduce the amount of water needed to hydrate the plants, and also prohibits fire from spreading around the station.  

As a neighbor of Fire Station 12, Badger said he chose this project because he wanted to make an educational impact in his neighborhood.

“Doing this project really made me feel like I gave back to the community,” said Badger. “I hope other scouts will achieve their Eagle Scout rank and help give back to the community.”  

Besides Boy Scouts, Badger is on the swim team at Grossmont High School and enjoys playing video games, skateboarding, and making short videos for YouTube.

He hopes to someday go into the aerospace engineering field.