An Eagle Court will be held in late September to celebrate a tight-knit group of nearly a dozen Harvard young men who have earned the honor of becoming Eagle Scouts; it is one of the largest groups of Scouts in town history to attain Scouting’s highest rank.
In this third installment of vignettes, the Press shares Eagle Scout projects completed by Christian Lancellotti and Tim Zobbi.
Christian Lancellotti builds boardwalks through Bowers Springs
Christian Lancellotti said he grew tired of cleaning muddy paws and shoes when he’d walk his golden retriever through Bowers Springs, a conservation area in Harvard and Bolton. He felt a strong connection to the land that is practically in his backyard, and he wanted to help other hikers who were often stepping in mud. In collaboration with the Conservation Commission, Lancellotti constructed a 98-foot-long boardwalk system for hikers to navigate through Harvard’s portion of Bowers Springs.
“The boardwalks had been a need for years,” said Wendy Sisson, the Land Stewardship Subcommittee chair and a former member of the Conservation Commission. “The area is very muddy and rocky. It had been a challenge for the stewards to figure out how to do boardwalks there.” Sisson said the commission was happy to have Lancellotti take on this challenging project and provided him with a suitable amount of planking.
Between getting project approvals, attending commission meetings, and working on the construction plans, Lancellotti spent about 107 hours on his project over the course of a year. “The commission told me that other boardwalks they had built catch a lot of leaves and kind of act as a dam on the conservation trail,” he said. To design a boardwalk that would allow for an easier passage of water, Lancellotti engaged in extensive planning sessions with his father, who is a structural engineer.
Lancellotti installed the boardwalk system in April with the help of several other Scouts. “It was funny because there was someone waiting as we put down the last piece,” he said. “Watching someone be the first to walk across the boardwalk while I was physically there, that was the best.”
Christian Lancellotti (center, in plaid) works with fellow Scouts to place the boardwalks they had built at Bowers Springs. (Courtesy photos)
Tim Zobbi rebuilds the Tripp land trail
When the Harvard Conservation Trust and the Sudbury Valley Trustees purchased the Eastern Greenway, which spans 200 acres of hardwood forests, rocky ridges, and wetlands, trail access was expanded throughout the Tripp conservation land. Prior to the acquisition, the trail that ran through Tripp land had been neglected. Tim Zobbi, a hiker who frequented the trail located near his neighborhood, knew he wanted to preserve this area as his Eagle Scout project.
Zobbi spent 16 months rebuilding the Tripp trail and giving back to his community. “Over the years I’ve noticed the land had started to go into more disrepair,” said Zobbi, adding that he felt a sentimental connection to the land. Among the many changes he made, Zobbi refurbished the approximately 2-mile trail from end to end, eliminated rotten boardwalks, installed two new causeways, cut back encroaching brush and trees, eradicated invasive plants, added new trail markers, and rebuilt the stone wall.
Sisson said the project came at the right time. “The Tripp land wasn’t really a destination before because it was relatively small and was more utilized by people in the neighborhood,” she said. With the addition of the Eastern Greenway, the Tripp land has received more attention, and Zobbi helped improve trail accessibility. “We are happy with what he did. Tim pruned some of the shrubs and trees that were near the trail, and re-blazed the trail with aluminum markers.”
The subcommittee provided Zobbi with new trail blazes and wood materials to repair boardwalks that were built over wet areas. He led a team of several Scouts for the completion of his project. “This whole experience was really satisfying, and it’s a nice culmination of everything I’ve learned as a Scout,” said Zobbi.
Tim Zobbi (left), Lucas Kranz (middle), and Matt Zobbi (right) carry wood for a new bridge at the Tripp conservation trail.
