Marco Island Boy Scout Completes Eagle Scout Service Project

James Olsen, a member of Marco Island Boy Scout Troop 234, recently completed his Eagle Scout Service Project, at Pioneer Garden at the Marco Island Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary. James researched what early Marco residents planted for food crops and designed and built the garden using reclaimed beams. 

Under James’ organization and direction, members of Scout Troop 234 assisted him in excavating the planting site, collecting large beams from the Marco Island Academy demolition site, and recycled the beams by sanding, staining, and installing them for a garden border. Marco Patriot, Matt Melican, helped with the excavation and dumped and leveled topsoil. With donations from Chris Burt, owner of the Island Garden Center of Marco, James planted a lime tree, pineapple, prickly pear (for jam), sweet potato, and coontie shrubs. The Seminole Indians boiled, dried, and ground the coontie stems and roots and used this as their flour. Two sweet potato plants eaten by iguanas were replaced with ground cherry plants which are similar to the Mexican tomatillo. Andrew Purcell, owner of Marco Rock, Inc., donated and installed oyster shells around the Pioneer Garden providing an environmentally friendly walkway to the garden and an attractive finish. At times, the Scouts found their work challenged by intense heat and frequent rainstorms, but they persevered and completed a job well done.

Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America. After a long and rigorous review process, only 4% of Scouts have earned this rank since the program’s inception in 1911. Twenty-one merit badges must be earned to attain the Eagle Scout rank.

James is the son of Marco Island residents, Megan and Scoutmaster Randall Olsen, and is a sophomore at IMG Academy in Bradenton.

The Pioneer Garden, a lovely attraction in the Marco Island Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary, may be seen at the north entrance of the Preserve located at 665 Tigertail Court, Marco Island, Florida. The Nature Preserve is open free to the public from dawn until dusk.

For Marco Island Scouting information, email islandtroop234@gmail.com.

For Marco Island Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary information visit www.MarcoIslandNaturePreserve.org.