After 11 years in Scouting, Colin Kooney has become “a proud Eagle Scout” with Boy Scouts of America Troop 28 Croton-on-Hudson.
“My Eagle project is at The Jane E. Lytle Memorial Arboretum (“The Croton Arboretum”),” says Colin. It is a non-profit organization that provides environmental stewardship for 20-plus acres of wetlands and woods in the Village.
He chose the Arboretum for his Eagle project while he worked on his Citizenship in the Community merit badge there the previous summer. “As one of the requirements for the merit badge, I worked on creating a trail for visitors facing challenges with intellectual or social development,” he explains.
Colin’s Eagle project, called the Outdoor Learning Environment & Trail, is a newly–created space just off the parking lot at the Arboretum.
It includes a nearly 200-foot trail with a group of benches made from tree stumps and flitches set on concrete. The benches are grouped together, allowing an educator to be heard by all. Along the trail is another bench for visitors to sit and enjoy nature.
“I invite our community to visit the Arboretum and enjoy the new Outdoor Learning Environment & Trail that my Eagle project team created,” says Colin. “This is a spot I will truly enjoy with my family and friends for many years in the future and I hope you do the same.”
Dear Colin,
Thank you so much for this important addition to the Arboretum! Congratulations on a job well done and the honor of becoming an Eagle Scout.
Best,
Jennie Kaplan