Ryan
Erickson
Eagle Project
PROJECT DESCRIPTION Concept
Describe the project you plan to do.
I plan to lead a team of volunteers into Carolina Meadows' southern
campus to forge a new trail through a third of a mile of woods. This
newly cleared trail will be about three feet wide and lined with fallen
timbers which can be found in the surrounding woods. Although the trail
I am proposing shall not be a loop, it will connect to a service road
which can lead hikers in a loop, returning them by way of Magnolia
Drive.
What group will it benefit?
This trail will benefit the residents of Carolina Meadows retirement
community. Carolina Meadows, Inc. 100 Carolina Meadows Chapel Hill, NC
27514-8505
My project will be of benefit to the group because:
The trail I am proposing will benefit the residents and friends of
Carolina Meadows in a number of ways. Carolina Meadows is a small and
very active community. The 160 acres of Carolina Meadows' campus
includes a variety of housing arrangements, a health care center, a
club center, and a number of sporting facilities including tennis
courts and a nine hole golf course. This development has wonderful
groves of trees which are woven in and around the campus. The residents
have voiced a desire for a trail through these wooded areas, providing
a nature walk which is not through people's yards or on the paved roads
of the golf course. My trail will meet this desire by providing a trail
which can be enjoyed by everyone, from adventurers to birdwatchers and
from hikers to people who are just searching for a new and beautiful
place to get some exercise.
The concept was discussed with my unit leader on October 27. 1998
The project concept was discussed with Ted White, Chairman of the
Buildings and Grounds Committee (919) 933-0738
of Carolina Meadows Residents Association on October 24, 1998
PLANNING DETAILS
Plan your work describing the present condition, the method, materials
to be used, project helpers, and a time schedule for carrying out.
The Carolina Meadows retirement community is a 160 acre campus just off
of Farrington Mill Road in southern Chapel Hill. The trail I am
planning on building is located on the southern end of campus and
travels more or less parallel to a section of Magnolia Drive (See Map).
The trail will begin at the end of Magnolia Drive and proceed into the
wooded area behind houses 347 and 348. Once behind these houses the
trail will head straight towards a service road which connects a
golf-cart path in Carolina Meadows to Farrington Mill Road. The trail
will ride on top of a small ridge to the service road. The woods in
which the trail will be built are fairly dense and consist of a fair
share of both deciduous trees and pine trees. The trail will be about
three feet wide and cleared for relatively comfortable walking. It will
also be lined with fallen timber which can be found in the surrounding
woods to assure that the trail will be recognizable in the future.
There are also a few feet of old barbwire and discarded house shingles
which shall be removed and disposed of properly.
I hope to complete work on the project over Christmas break when my
workers and I have more time. We will schedule three or four work days
in which we will clear the trail of leaves and roots, then line it with
timber. I will assemble a mixture of Boy Scouts and swimmers who need
service learning hours for school. The group will consist of about
eight to ten workers under my supervision, along with two adult
overseers. The materials that I will need will be pruners, saws, rakes,
shovels, and axes. These materials are for moving fallen lumber and
small brush; we will not be chopping down any trees or performing any
such large and dangerous operations.
CARRYING OUT THE PROJECT
Keep a record and make notes as your project progresses. Include dates
worked, those assisting you and their time spent, and the materials, if
used.
11/24/98 I walked through the woods with Ted White, Chairman of
Carolina Meadow's Buildings and Grounds Committee, and John Russell, an
active member of the committee. We marked the path for the trail with
neon surveyor's ties. We also discussed the procedure I would follow
and a few safety measures which I would adhere to.
1/19/99 24 hours This was the first of my workdays. I
typed-up directions to my site and distributed them to my six workers.
We arrived at the site at 1:00 p.m. and we finished our day's work at
4:00 p.m. We succeeded in clearing about half of the trail of all
debris and ground cover. A few stumps and root bases
remained which we would clear at another time. (8 people x 3 hours = 24
hours)
7/21/99 18 hours On this, the second day of work, I assembled a
crew of five people to continue the clearing of my trail. The hiatus of
activity was due to the rigors of the final few months of my junior
year of high school which included AP Tests, the SAT, Swimming
Nationals in St Louis, and final exams. Upon returning to my
trail, I was pleased to find that Mr. Russell had helped the progress
of my project by clearing the middle section of my trail. My crew
succeeded in clearing the remainder of the trail of all small foliage
and ground cover. (6 people
x 3 hours = 18 hours)
8/6/99 Feeling that my trail was too close to
completion at such an early point, I met with Ted White and another
resident of Carolina Meadows, Bill Gundlach, and discussed the
possibility of building an additional trail. They showed me an area of
woods which was parallel to Whippoorwill Road (see map). The trail
they proposed was a little shorter than my original trail. I agreed to
construct this trail behind houses 301-312 in the same fashion as I did
the first trail.
8/8/99 24 hours With a large crew assembled on
this day, I was able to clear the entire trail of all small foliage and
ground cover. This trail turned out to be a bit more difficult than my
original trail because of the large amount of trash which was located
on and around the trail. (8 people x 3 hours = 24 hours)
8/9/99 to 1/5/00 4 hours During this period of time, I worked on
signs for the trails. I talked with Mr. White and he agreed that signs
would be a nice addition to mark the new trails. Barbara Roth, a
resident of Carolina Meadows, donated the money to buy the signs. I
used my mother's wood burner to burn the names of the trails
into the signs. Ms. Roth picked two names for the trails which Mr.
White and I liked. She suggested that we name the first trail Oak
Forest Trail because the surrounding woods had a large number of oak
trees For the second trail she suggested the name Whippoorwill Trail
because the trail is parallel to the road with the same name. I burned
these names into the signs. The burning took about an hour per sign so
the four signs took about four hours. (1 person x 4 hours = 4 hours)
8/21/99 5 hours On this day I decided to take care of a few
large logs which were across my trail and a few trees which where too
large for me to saw alone. Ray Garlington, an adult member of our troop
and a good friend of mine agreed to come with me to my trail and use
his chain saw to further clear the trail. Together, we
were able to clear all large obstructions from both of the trails. (2
people x 2.5 hours = 5 hours)
9/12/99 7 hours Seeing that there was still a
fair amount of very small, low-to-the-ground sprouts, I decided to use
a weed whacker to make the trail easier to navigate. I cleared both of
the trails in this manner. While I was working, my mother picked up
some trash on and around the trail. We also took time to build a new
end to
Whippoorwill Trail because during an intense period of rain, our
previous section of trail had flooded with water due to its low ground
level. (2 people x 3.5 hours = 7 hours)
9/17/99 3.5 hours On this day I decided to measure the
length of both of my trails. I do not have a pedometer or know of
anyone who does, so I had to devise my own way of making the
measurements. After a bit of brainstorming, I decided to use my bicycle
to measure the trails. I did this by measuring the diameter of
my bike's front tire and marking it with a white dot of paint. Then I
just rode my bike on the trail and clicked a hand counter every time I
saw the white dot. After I rode my bike on both trails, I multiplied
the number of clicks by the diameter
and found the trail's length. I found Oak Forest Trail, the first
trail, to be about 0.3 miles and Whippoorwill Trail, my second trail,
to be 0.2 miles long. I then burned these lengths into the signs so
that that residents of Carolina Meadows would know the lengths of the
trails. (1 person x 3.5 hours = 3.5 hours)
12/30/99 12 hours There was a great deal of raking to
be done when I returned to the trail on the 30th of December. I could
not work on the trail in October because every weekend of that month I
was at a different university on a recruiting trip for college
swimming. In November, my Grandfather passed away and my family and I
needed some time to heal. December started with semester exams, so
unfortunately it was not until later in that month that I could get
back to the trail. When I returned, the trees had dropped their leaves
so I assembled a crew of four including myself to rake the trails and
gave them another run with the weed whacker. (4 people x 3 hours = 12
hours)
1/15/00 8 hours I invited three workers
over to my house to work on a few aspects of my trail. We began
by shellacking the four signs I had burned so they would last outdoors
in any weather. Then we worked on cutting the markers for the trail.
Mr. White informed me that hiking trails in Carolina Meadows and marked
by small
squares which are cut out of white bleach bottles and nailed to the
trees which line the trail. The four of us cut about fifty squares from
bleach bottles with a pair of shears. (4 people x 2 hours = 8 hours)
1/17/00 0.5 hours I nailed the signs, which we
had shellacked two days earlier, to four pressure treated boards. Now
the signs were complete and ready to be put in the ground. (1 person x
.5 hours = .5 hours)
1/29/00 8 hours At this point, the trail was
complete except for a number of stumps which were left when Mr.
Garlington and I went through with his chainsaw. To take these stumps
out, Matt Sawatzki, a fellow swimmer, and I walked both trails with an
axe and a shovel. We spent three hours chopping up tree stumps. This
was probably the most physically demanding work of my project. The root
systems for many of the stumps were deep in the ground and very
intricate. However, it was necessary for my trials to be very smooth
and level because of the
advanced age of the residents who would be navigating them. (2 people x
4 hours = 8 hours)
2/20/00 4 hours The beginning to the Oak Forest
Trail is located down wind from a trash dump. As a result of this,
there is quite a bit of trash in the woods near the trail's start. The
Whippoorwill Trail had a large amount of trash dumped from the county
road over many years. We found everything you could think of around the
trail, from bottles and cans, to the hood of a 1950 Chevy. On this day,
my mother and I spent two hours cleaning up trash on and around the
trail. (2 people x 2 hours = 4 hours)
3/4/00 1.5 hours I finished the trail on this
day by putting the signs and trail markers up. To put in the signs I
only had to dig four holes but to put up the markers, I had to do quite
a bit of nailing. I used roofing nails for the bleach bottle squares.
The nails were provided by Ms. Roth. (1 person x 1.5 hours = 1.5 hours)
3/21/00 I walked the trail with Mr. White, Mr.
Russell, and Mr. Gundlach so that they could see what I had done with
the trails. We walked both trails and they were satisfied and
appreciative of the job my crews and I had done.
Total Hours = 119.5
ASSISTED BY
I was assisted by the following Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, Explorers,
and/or other individuals:
Name Date(s) Worked Hours Worked
Campbell, Leigh 1/19/99 3 hours
Cidlowski, Ross 1/19/99 3 hours
Clarke-Pearson, Mike 8/8/99 3 hours
Erickson, Ann 1/19/99 3 hours
7/21/99 3 hours
8/8/99 3 hours
9/12/99 3.5 hours
2/20/00 2 hours
Erickson, Evan 12/30/99 3 hours
8/8/99 3 hours
Erickson, Ryan 1/19/99 3 hours
7/21/99 3 hours
8/8/99 3 hours
8/9/99 to 1/5/00 4 hours
8/21/99 2.5 hours
9/12/99 3.5 hours
9/17/99 3.5 hours
12/30/99 3 hours
I /15/00 2 hours
1/17/00 0.5 hours
1/29/00 4 hours
2/20/00 2 hours
3/4/00 1.5 hours
Garlington, Brian 1/19/99 3 hours
12/30/99 3 hours
1/15/00 2 hours
Garlington, Chris 12/30/99 3 hours
Garlington, Ray 8/21/99 2.5 hours
Hodge, William 1/15/00 2 hours
Leibhold, Tim l/19/99 3 hours
7/21/99 3 hours
8/8/99 3 hours
Lewis, Courtney 1/19/99 3 hours
McWay, Michael 1/15/00 2 hours
1/19/99 3 hours
7/21/99 3 hours
Rouse, Ms. J.R. 8/8/99 3 hours
Rouse, Sara 8/8/99 3 hours
Sawatzki, Matt 1/29/00 4 hours
1/19/99 3 hours
7/21/99 3 hours
Smith, Brandon 7/21/99 3 hours
Total hours = 119.5
CHANGES
The original project plans were followed except the following changes:
I experienced a number of set backs and unexpected events which forced
me to make changes to my original plan. These changes were due to both
miscalculations on my part and incidents over which I had no control. I
believe my ability to adapt to any impediments which I encountered was
very important to the eventual completion of my Eagle Project.
The first problem I encountered occurred when I strayed from my
predicted schedule. I found that I was not able to complete my project
during my Christmas break. The break was an ideal time to complete the
project because my crew and I were not in school. Unfortunately, the
organization of my workers took longer than I had planned. As a result,
I was forced to wait to work on my project until school was out for the
summer. This lapse of time was due to the fact that most of my workers
and I were juniors in high school. Amid the chaos of AP tests, the SAT,
Swimming Nationals, and final exams, it was very difficult to find time
to work on my project.
Another deviation from my original plan occurred when I returned to my
trail in August of 1999. Upon returning, I learned that Mr. John
Russell had been steadily working to help me complete my project and
that he had succeeded in completing the middle section of my trail.
Although I was very grateful for the help Mr. Russell provided, I was
distressed because I feared that my one trail would be completed with
too much ease. To combat this problem I met with Bill Gundlach, Ted
White and another resident of Carolina Meadows, Barbara Roth. They
showed me an area of woods which was parallel to Whippoorwill Road (see
map) in which I could build an additional trail. The trail they
proposed was a little shorter and flatter than my original trail. I
agreed to construct this trail which in turn further altered my
original plan by requiring me to schedule more workdays. Unfortunately,
Mother Nature also had plans for my trails which I had not foreseen.
When I returned to the Whippoorwill Trail on the twelfth of September,
I was forced to alter my trail in yet another way. The heavy rain,
which North Carolina had been receiving for about a month, had flooded
about twenty feet of one end of Whippoorwill Trail. This flooding was
due to the low ground of this end of the trail. I discussed the
flooding with Mr. White and we decided to build another end to the
trail which was closer to a visitor parking area (see map). We
concluded that this new end would be less likely to experience any
flooding and be more accessible because of the closer parking.
The only other alteration to my original plan was the building and
erection of the four signs. I proposed the idea of putting up signs to
Mr. White and Mr. Russell and they were both very enthusiastic about
this modification.
All of these changes to my original plan were the result of my
adaptation to any adversity which I encountered. When I was planning my
trail I was very aware of the fact that a number of changes were likely
to occur. I made it a goal of mine to combat any problems I faced by
doing more to fix them, not less. By this, I mean that when I realized
my first trail so close to completion at such an early point, I asked
for an additional trail instead of just putting the little energy
needed into the completion of the first. I took the time necessary to
build the trails to the best of my ability, even suggesting additions,
such as the signs, which I felt would improve the trails. I believe
that the motivation and dedication with which I approached my trails
was the key to their completion and also personifies the values I have
learned as a member of the Boy Scouts of America.
Pictures of my Project
Carolina Meadows retirement community and a picture of the woods in
which my trails were built.
Pictures of my crew and I working on the trails
My crew and I extracted a large amount of trash which we found on and
around the trails.
Digging up all the stumps which were on the trail was the most
physically demanding work
We were forced to rake the trail after all the trees dropped their
leaves in the fall.
The flooding of part of Whippoorwill Trail forced me to choose another
path.
We cut squares out of bleach bottles and nailed them to trees in order
to mark the trail.
Signs with the trail's names and distances were placed at the ends of
both trails.
Before
|
After
|
 |
 |
All four of the ends of the trails are placed near areas where parking
is available.
The following pictures are of the trail once it was completed.
