Partnering with the Scouts

This summer, we partnered up with the Anthony Wayne Area Council to bring their scouts out for a service project at Eagle Marsh. Their goal was helping us install a drainage system under Trail 1, in an area which would frequently flood with runoff from the interstate.

Previously, scouts had installed boardwalks in this area, but over the years, constant flooding and poor drainage left them completely embedded in the mud. It took a team of 6 scouts heaving and ho’ing to pop them out of the muck. Following their removal, this team took to shovels and began digging out trenches where we’d install drainage pipes.

Another group worked on tightening mesh guards around the ends of 10 PVC pipes. These would prevent buildup of soil and other sediment that might clog the pipes.

It was a muddy, satisfying day of progress, and to cap it all off we were rained on at the very end, giving us a chance to see the pipes in action!

A follow-up session in early November brought us a fresh group of scouts to finish the installation. Over the course of four hours, we dug out nine trenches, placed all our PVC pipes in the ground, filled the space in between with extra mud and cattails, then placed all six of our Eagle Scout-built boardwalks on top, reusing the two that were embedded in the mud.

And voilà, thanks to the efforts of our incredible volunteers, Trail 1 now has a boardwalk with functional drainage underneath!