Sasha Crabtree is all about helping her community, and in doing so, she’s also helping the environment. As a Scout, the 16-year-old high school student gets to take part in many activities throughout the area.
“I’m part of a Boy Scouts of America troop; they now let girls join,” she says. “Our all-girl troop was founded in 2019.” Sasha was actually the Senior Patrol Leader of BSA Troop 280 until recently completing her 1.5-year term.
“We learn valuable leadership skills and responsibility, and have done many service hours helping out by giving our time,” she says. “One of the girls in our troop wanted to make a trail for her Eagle Scout project, so a bunch of us helped her with that.”
The group cleared a half-mile path off Shunpike Road, put down woodchips, installed boardwalks, and then made signs directing people where to go. The trail provides a serene place for people in the area to get exercise and enjoy some fresh air.
“I’m also a member of the Chatham Community Bee Yard Club, and we have a six-plot garden on River Road right across from the beehives,” says Sasha. “This summer, for my service project, I'm going to clean and clear the existing garden plots and put down a weed barrier since it’s really overgrown right now. I’m then going to plant deer-resistant pollinator plants.
She adds, “I'm inviting a lot of people to help with my project to learn about the general wellbeing of the community. It's important to me because without the bees, we wouldn't really have much of a community. So, it's really about helping the environment, sustainability and health.”
Two of the hives belong to her family, and they have two more beehives in their own backyard. “About six years ago, my dad wanted a new hobby and I was really interested in Scouts and camping, hiking, and all of that, and so we just wanted to do an outdoor hobby,” says Sasha.
“I really liked bees in general and making honey was fun, so my dad and I started the hobby together and now we both have hives in the backyard. We started off across from the gardens, and then we were able to have our own.”
Each fall, they harvest the honey and not only use it themselves but also sell it. Their Crabtree Honey can be bought on their Facebook page.
Sasha lives in Chatham with her parents, Melina and Christopher, and their dog, Toby, an Australian Labradoodle. She enjoys writing for her school newspaper, and in the future, would like to be a journalist and write about environmental issues.