Scout awarded Eagle rank after work along Prairie Path

When James "Jimmy" Lynch learned that the loss of native plants as a food source is one of the driving forces behind the declining number of pollinators such as bees and butterflies, he decided to do something to help.

So Jimmy, a 17-year-old senior at Glenbard East and a member of Boy Scout Troop 202 in Lombard, devised a plan to remove weeds and debris from a portion of the Illinois Prairie Path near the southwest corner of Main Street in Lombard and then not only put in pollinator-friendly native plants, but to ensure they were watered and cared for.

Thanks to his work on the successful project, and his other achievements in Scouting, James recently was awarded the rank of Eagle - the highest in Boy Scouting obtained by less than two of every 100 Scouts.

In addition to completing the required merit badges, potential Eagle Scouts must complete a service project that benefits the community and demonstrates leadership.

Jimmy, who joined Cub Scouts when he was 11, is a runner who knows the Prairie Path well.

Once he identified his project, he had to present his idea to the Illinois Prairie Path Association and then receive a permit from the DuPage County Department of Transportation.

He organized a team of more than 40 Scouts, family and friends who worked to clear the area and eventually put in more than 800 plants and tiles for a footpath. Finally, he arranged to have the plants watered all summer.

In addition to Scouting, Jimmy is the creator and editor of the Glenbard Underground, an independent school newspaper focusing on political events, and a member of the National Honor Society and the Foreign Language Honor Society for German and Spanish.

He says he would like to study history in college and continue his language studies. He is planning to do volunteer work in Latin America before starting college.

His parents are Therese and Andrew Lynch from Lombard.