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Eagle Scout grateful for help with Morava Nature Preserve in Prospect Heights

On Aug. 19, 49 volunteers spent 224 hours to help me complete my Eagle Scout project. I had been planning this project for exactly 12 months and was so thankful to have so many people help me along the way.

We transformed an overgrown, underutilized piece of land behind Gary Morava Community Center in Prospect Heights into a beautiful nature trail with a steppingstone bridge. We laid and lined over 650 feet of trail, built a natural staircase, built a steppingstone bridge, and planted over 2,000 natural species plugs.

The new Morava Nature Preserve is already being used by the community with future plans for the Prospect Heights Park District, the library and Eisenhower School to have educational programs there.

This project was possible because of the cooperation and dedication of PHNRC. All of the commissioners were there every step of the way. Thank you John Kamysz for your mad stair-building skills, Ed Maden for the endless trail lining, and Jill Moskal for your support.

I especially want to thank Dana Sievertson and Agnes Wojnarski - I will always be thankful for the amount of support and encouragement you showed me. You were generous enough to say yes to my pie in the sky plans and yes to every other decision along the way. Your enthusiasm, knowledge, and support was a gift I will always remember. I am so lucky to have done this project with the two of you.

The Prospect Heights Park District was great to work with. Thank you to the park board for all of your help and excitement. Thank you, Mr. Dino Squires, for making sure we had an endless amount of wood chips and for working with our schedule. A special thank you to Mrs. Christina Ferraro who was always ready to help in any way she could and always giving me encouragement along the way.

I would like to thank Chipman Design Architecture of Des Plaines for donating many hours of design work, expertise and patience. They were dedicated to helping me find a way to get from one side of the creek to the other. Thank you John Chipman, Bob Wirsing, Kate Kerin and the rest of the Eagle Scout Project Team, I couldn't have done it without you. Also, thank you McComas Engineering, Inc.

I was lucky to work with Chris Stinnett from Emerald Landscape Contractor Inc. Mr. Stinnett was generous with his time, expertise, and willingness to help out a Scout. Cody and the rest of the crew did a superb job on the big creek workday.

I also want to thank my troop, my family, friends, and neighbors for all of their hard work. I am very lucky to have support from so many great people.

Last but not least I want to thank my Mom and Dad. Thank you for all of your love and support and always saying yes to my big ideas.

Sam Sobczak

BSA Troop 468

Arlington Heights

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