Medway Community Farm now has a nice resting spot on its trail near Chicken Brook, thanks to Medway High School sophomore and Medway Boy Scout Ethan Carney. Ethan recently completed his Eagle Scout project at the Medway Community Farm, clearing an area near the pond of its invasive plants, installing stones to stop regrowth as well as a bench for folks to enjoy the landscape. 

 “I chose the Medway Community Farm, because I feel like it’s an often-overlooked part of our community,” says Carney, 16. “I thought it would be nice to go do something to help out. I contacted Mrs. Collard, she walked me around the farm and gave me a couple examples of projects that could be done. I like walking on trails myself, and a nice rest stop area overlooking the pond adds a nice place to relax and look at the farm.”

Ethan had his job cut out for him. “For starters, I had to propose the project to a leader (at the state level), propose ito them and get their approval, then I had to go gather all the things I needed – several tons of stone/gravel, a landscaper to clear the area, a bench, tools and a bunch of boys to help me out with my troop. I was lucky to get the help of Mr. Podzka; he drastically decreased the amount of time it would have taken to complete the project.’

Wayne Podzka, of W. Podzka Landscape lent his assistance and equipment to the project, and Carney received a donation of gravel from Medway Block Company and a discount on the stone bench from Swenson Granite. 

 

Ethan, who was happy to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Ben, who attained Eagle Scout, says the experience “has been rewarding. Besides the practical things I’ve learned about nature and all those things from camping, I learned leadership, public speaking, how to get my ideas across effectively. There are good things I got from this project, and I’m very happy with the way it came out,” says Ethan, who worked with Scout leaders David Bennett and Greg Green.  “It pretty much came out the way I was expecting, better than I expected. It went smoothly, and I’m very grateful for Mr. Podzka.”

Wayne Podzka has a 14-year-old son who is in Boy Scouts with Ethan. Podzka could see the Eagle candidate learned a lot after he delved into this project.

“At first, he just kind of knew what he wanted,” says Podzka. “He asked me if I could help him clear out the brush with the machine. It was good of him to know he needed some help, but he needed a lot more help than he realized, and I think he applied it immensely.” Podzka was impressed Ethan approached him for help, “because it was very fitting for this project. There was some guidance that ended up going along with it. I offered him suggestions and let him still call the shots, but directed him, in a very hands off way. It’s nice to see these young men developing and trying to earn this prestigious merit, and hopefully people on the walking trail will stop and take a break and sit on Ethan’s bench he put in, and it will be a nice thing for the community as well.

“I was really impressed about Ethan’s project,” says Greg Green, Boy Scout Troop 367 Committee chair. “He figured out how to find the right people with the right tools to do the job effectively. That enabled him to do a lot more than he planned, and that’s important, from a troop perspective. This is a good lesson for scouts. We expect him to finish the project, and don’t be afraid to ask for help to make your project go faster by using people who are skilled and who use power equipment to make the road easier. They cleaned out a much wider area, and they put in a much nicer walkway to the bench.”

Carol Collard, of Medway Community Farm, couldn’t have been more pleased. 

“The project came out great,” says Collard. “It absolutely was professionalism that was demonstrated by the Scouts that were there, and Ethan led them.”

Collard, who says one other Eagle project had taken place at the community farm as well as a Girl Scout Gold Award project before Ethan came along, says she is encouraged to look to Scouts for future projects.

Green notes that Ethan is the 62nd Medway Boy Scout in the 25-year-old troop to work to attain his Eagle Scout award. 

If you would like more information about Medway Boy Scouts, open to boys aged 11 and older, contact Green at (508) 446-6751 or [email protected].

For more information on the Medway Community Farm, visit www.medwaycommunityfarm.org.