The Boy Scouts’ creed of “Leave No Trace” has taken on new meaning for an East County troop. These boys can now quickly cut up a felled tree — and will soon be able to put every piece to good use.

It’s nice to picture yourself chopping firewood like a lumberjack–deftly swinging an axe through log rounds to cut perfectly sized pieces. That said, it's simply not how it happens. For most of us, ...