Raising, releasing pheasants nets Girl Scout silver award

Katerina Wiley, a freshman at Colfax High School who is a member of the Girl Scout Troop 2246 in Pullman, has earned the Girl Scout Silver Award by raising 23 pheasants and releasing them in the wild.

Wiley, daughter of Michael and Mary Wiley, raised the pheasants over a six-week period last summer at the family residence along the Endicott Road.

She will be presented the silver pin award at a multi-troop awards ceremony next Tuesday in Pullman.

To meet the requirements for the badge, scouts are required to complete at least 40 hours on their project. Katerina topped that requirement when she fed and watered the pheasants and cleaned their pens twice a day over the six-plus weeks on the project.

Requirements for the badge calls for the scouts to select a project, research the concept to develop a plan and a budget, obtain funding and eventually complete a final report.

The aim of the project was to boost the supply of game birds in the area and demonstrate to others what can be accomplished.

Katerina received a grant from the Colfax Thrifty Grandmothers to help fund the project.

She and her father picked up the pheasant chicks from the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council on North Market in Spokane June 10.

The chicks were kept under a heat lamp in the mud room at the Wiley residence for a short time. The second abode was an outside six-foot stock tank which was covered with chicken wire and plywood for access.

For the last 20 days, the birds were kept in a former 12x16-foot dog run with a cover added to contain the young birds who were beginning to make test flights.

One of the underlying requirements for the project called for Katerina to refrain from creating a bond with the young birds to discourage their return to the Wiley place after the release.

The release date was July 25. The birds were released at the Joe and Sara Delong place along the Palouse River between Endicott and St. John. Some were also released in the Diamond area.

Katerina made a presentation for the six-week project on the day the birds were released.

After the award presentation next week, she plans to start considering a project for the Girl Scout Gold award, the highest honor for the organization.