Joel Barlow High School freshman Noah Beninati recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout by leading a team of seven scouts with Troop 66 in constructing an arbor over the “Seeds of Change” garden at Samuel Staples Elementary School.
Beninati hopes his Eagle Scout project will attract students and the community to the garden to appreciate the environment.
“I chose this project because I value the environment, and I think students interested in gardening will reduce our carbon footprint,” said Beninati.
The arbor’s construction took place over the span of two days. Despite the limited time frame, Beninati and his team overcame the challenge and got the job done.
“The first day, we put the posts in and got them level,” said Beninati. “The second day, we spent finalizing the design. The main challenge for me was getting everyone together. Completing this within that time frame wouldn’t have been possible without the amount of help I had.”
Last year, Samuel Staples Elementary School staff, students, parents, local farmers and community members offered their labor and expertise to build the “Seeds of Change” garden at the school. The project began with the school’s “Seeds of Change” Garden Club under the direction of third-grade teachers Courtney Carroll and Tara Brophy.
“The arbor adds a beautiful gateway to the garden,” said Carroll. “It gives it a formal sense of entering a special and meaningful place for our school and local community. We are looking forward to seeing how the look of the arbor changes as our vining plants grow up and over it.”
An Eagle Scout project serves the dual purpose of giving back to the community and nurturing leadership skills.
“I learned everyone learns things differently, and it’s important to lead by example,” said Beninati.
