Zach Self plans to construct a 70-foot boardwalk along a section of the nature trail at Lake Country School that becomes muddy and eroded after rain. The boardwalk will be made of treated wood and reinforced with flagstones and metal joints. Zach will recruit volunteers from his Boy Scout troop and cut materials in advance over two preparation days before the volunteers help construct the boardwalk over a third day. Zach has obtained funding and permissions for the project, which will benefit the school, community, and wildlife by preserving the nature trail.

1. Zach Self Eagle Project
The Project: The plan is to create a boardwalk along a portion of the path at Lake Country
School’s nature area. The four foot wide boardwalk will be designed to withstand the elements
and allow people to cross an approximated 70 foot gap on the path where water flows through
after rain. This water combined with people walking on the path when it is wet causes this
section of the path to decay and erode. If this continues, that section of the path will continue
to decay and become dangerous. Therefore in October I will gather the get my approvals, my
materials, recruit a team, and construct a boardwalk that will traverse this section of the path.
The Benefit and How: This project will mostly benefit Lake Country School, but it will also
benefit the citizens in the area too as it will improve the pathway people use for walks. It will
benefit Lake Country and its students because they use the path in their science classes to view
nature first hand and learn about the species that inhabit the area. Also, this boardwalk will
help to preserve the pathway and make it last for future generations as it is our duty to
preserve the environment which we use. The pathway will benefit the wildlife of the area and
keep their environment from being destroyed or tampered with by humans, helping us to leave
as little of a human footprint as possible. This will also benefit my volunteers that show up for
the project. They will be logging volunteer hours, while also getting to view and understand
how an Eagle Scout project runs as well as learning framing techniques and tool usage. This
project benefits me also as it will teach me leadership, organization, planning, and many other
scouting skills. It will give me a great experience in which I will be directing multiple people
while delivery the overall goal of constructing the boardwalk and completing my project.
When the Project Starts: My goal is to complete the project by October 28th. If weather is bad
in October, I will move the project back to early November.
Length of Project: This could vary a little depending on any problems that occur, but right now I
am planning on having it be a 2 to 3 day project. Day 1: Preparation, the first day needs to be
used to cut the wood that I will buy at Home Depot into the correct lengths. After doing some
research and looking around while I was at Home Depot, I discovered 8 foot long 4x4s that
would work for the base and then 8 foot long 2x10s that would be the walking area over the
4x4s. Day 2: Site preparation, on the second day I will go out to the site with only a few helpers
to clear the designated area of debris and widen the path to fit the entire boardwalk. Also, we
will clean up the path, lay flagstones for support, and make sure that it is leveled out and there
are no soft spots along it. For this, a few bags of sand might be required. Day 3: Boardwalk
Construction, the third day would be the actual construction of the boardwalk.
Number of People for the Project: A good number of helpers could really range from 10 to 20
people. If a lower amount of people show up on the main work day, it may not be such a bad

2. thing since we will be confined to a small work space anyways. To compensate though, we may
need to work a little longer.
Where I Will Recruit Volunteers: I will send out an email to all of the members in the troop
asking for their help and to RSVP with me. Then, I will send out a follow up email as well to
make sure the word gets around. Also, I will have my family there helping me and maybe some
of my friends as well.
Most Difficult Part about Leading Them: In my opinion, I believe that the most difficult parts in
leading them will be that they are going to be such a variety of ages and that the workers will
be split up with some bringing in wood for the boardwalk and others starting to construct it. I
will just need to make sure that everyone understands what I tell them at the beginning and
that everyone stays on the same page which I can do by giving updates on how far the overall
project is at different points throughout the day.
Materials: Wood, Flagstones, Joints, and Screws
Supplies and Tools: Cordless drills and screwdrivers for screwing in the screws on the
boardwalk, power saw for cutting off any extra wood that sticks out too far, Sand Paper for any
very rough spots on the wood, Working gloves for those screwing and trimming debris, Eye
Protection Glasses again for those screwing to protect their face, Tree and plant trimming
materials to make sure that we have enough room for the boardwalk. We will be able to supply
most of the supplies and I will also request people to bring their screwdrivers and work gloves if
they have some so we will not run out. Wheel barrows will be used to move the flagstone and
other items, and shovels will be used for the flattening of the ground where the flagstone will
be placed. Also, I will acquire a four foot long level to make sure the flagstones are level.
Permits and Permissions: When originally traveling out to the area a DNR member went with
us and told Mr. Lichte (the principal of LCS) and I that the project would be fine and that there
were no problems with it. No permits are required.
Cost: (Total Cost= $651.54)
Items Amount Cost Unit Cost Source
10 foot long 4x4s Treated 23 $190.21 $8.27 Home Depot
8 foot long 2x10s Treated 44 $293.48 $5.88 Home Depot
3.25 inch Deckmate Screw 15 pounds $70.44 $23.48 Home Depot
Flagstones 20 Donated Donated
Simpson Strong-Tie Angle Joint 20 $24.60 $1.23 Home Depot
10 foot long 4x6s Treated 5 $66.85 $13.37 Home Depot
Separate 2.5 inch nails 2 pounds $5.96 $2.98 Home Depot

3. Funding: Up front, Mr. Lichte told me that the school would donate around $300. The Lake
Country School Education Foundation is donating $200 as well. Home Depot donated $50.
Then, the remainder of the money will be donated by the Self family. Also, flagstones were
donated by a friend of Mr. Lichte.
Transportation: This will be relatively simple as we will just use our two cars to transport the
wood and supplies in various loads. Then using wheel barrels and people carrying them, we will
transfer the supplies from the Lake Country School Parking lot to the project site which in total
is only about 100 yards.
Safety Issues: There are a lot of safety hazards such as the use of power drills and screws which
means that safety glasses and gloves must be worn by all who are using those materials. The
carrying and moving of the materials is also dangerous as well and gloves must be used to move
the wood. Also, with such a tight and contained area on the path people will be in close
proximity with each other and I will need to make sure that everyone keeps space in between
each other so no one is hurt during the construction of the boardwalk. To make sure that
everyone has all of the working space that they need, everyone will have a partner while
working on the boardwalk. One partner will be involved on the construction of the boardwalk
and the physical labor, while the other will be watching out for his or her partner and making
sure that they always have a safe environment to work in. This way we will be able to keep
constructing while everyone is safe as well. Also, with a power saw being used to trim the wood
on the corners, the user of the saw must make sure that they have a safety radius of at least ten
feet in all directions so no one is in danger of being hurt. The user of the saw must also wear
safety goggles. Only adults over the age of 18 will be operating the saw. People might be
trimming certain parts of the path to make sure there is enough room for the entire width of
the boardwalk and those people using trimmers must be careful and wearing gloves as well.
Just in case, we will bring a first aid kit equipped with everything needed to treat minor cuts
and other small emergencies. The first aid kit will come from my house. Since it might still be
warm out there might be bees and other insects on the path so if people have any allergies to
these I need to make sure they have whatever they need to treat it such as their EpiPen.
Project Planning Details: The present condition of the path is good. It may have to be widened
a little though and have some brush cleared out to fit the entire 4 foot wide boardwalk. The
boardwalk will be constructed by creating it in three segments due to two turns that occur on
the path in the designated boardwalk area. The boardwalk must also be sturdy so it will need to
be reinforced. We will do this by constructing the boardwalk with three 4x4 traversing down
the left side, one in the center, and one on the right side of the boardwalk on the underside of
the boardwalk to reinforce it. Then, screw the 4 foot long 2x10 boards (we will cut all of the 8

4. foot long 2x10s in half to make them all 4 feet) into the three 4x4s which are under the 2x10s.
When cutting the 2x10s, I will also make pre drilled holes (specific to the screw size) to make it
easier when screwing in the 2x10s to the 4x4s. To keep the 4x4s jointed together, I will be using
metal joints which we will screw to each of the connecting pieces of 4x4. Also, I plan on adding
flagstones to the joint sections of each of the 4x4s to keep the boardwalk from sinking into the
mud. To do this, square sections of flagstones will be dug down into the ground and placed to
keep the boardwalk flat. A small ramp must also be constructed as well to allow people to get
up and onto the boardwalk.
Specific Planning:
Day 1: This is the day in which all of the preparation for the project will be done. I will gather all
of the materials and tools together and have them ready to be transported. My parents, a
friend, and I will be the ones prepping the materials.
Day 2: All of the wood will be pre cut ahead of time since the 2x10s will need to be cut in half to
make them four feet long instead of eight feet. Also, we will pre drill the wood as well so there
is no confusion as to where the screws should go. Mr. Lesch is a parent in the troop and he has
a lot of power tools and knowledge when it comes to wood constructing projects. He said that
he would be willing to help me pre cut and pre drill the wood. For the wood cutting, it will be
Mr. Lesch, my Dad, and me in attendance.
Day 3: A group of five or six members will go out and set up the area. This will consist of a few
different parts. We will go out there with clippers and work gloves to clear up all of the brush
that is overhanging onto the path. We will then move the brush out of the path so we can
dispose of it later. After that, we will install the flagstones on which the boardwalk will be
constructed. We will measure out the spots of each of the flagstones, which will be separated
by 8 foot gaps with a flagstone on the two outer 4x4s at every joint. We will know when it is flat
by using a four foot level that Mr. Widenski (a leader of the patrol) has. A nose shovel will be
used to make the holes of the flagstones and keep the boardwalk flat. We will bring out four
4x4s to layout on the path and make sure that they are level enough to be constructed upon, if
it isn’t flat enough then we will continue to adjust the flagstones. After this is completed the
group will leave with the brush that has been created while clearing out the path and disposed
of at an eco friendly dump at the school.
Day 4: This is the main day. All of the volunteers who show up will meet in the LCS parking lot
over by the outdoor class room. Here, I will meet with all the volunteers and begin to assign
various tasks. The first task will be the movement of the tools and supplies. We will be moving a
lot of wood so we will be using the schools golf cart that has a cart on the back, wheel barrels,

5. and our hands. The wheel barrels and golf carts will only move the wood to the edge of the
forest where the wood will then be moved by hand, this is to avoid any injuries with the
vehicles in such a confined space. Once the wood and tools have been moved, we will need to
establish the buddy system. I will talk mostly about it when we first meet, but it will keep
everyone safe and is further explained under the Safety Issue Section. Next, the construction of
the boardwalk will begin by laying down the 4x6s across all of the flagstones. Then, the first 3
4x4s will be laid across the gap between the first 2 4x6s and jointed into place. Once in place, a
team will start at the first set of flagstones that have been laid out. The 2x10s will then be laid
over the 4x4s and screwed into position. This will take no more than 4 people per section of
wood, 2 people screwing while 2 people are observing and making sure that no one is getting to
close to the workers. While people begin laying the first 2x10s, other groups of people will
begin to lay the next 4x4s down. Then when the 4x4s are arranged and laid out, people can
begin the jointing of the 4x4s with the metal joints and screws while others are beginning to
screw in the 2x10s. One problem is if due to spacing of the 2x10s or such, at the end of the 4x4
there may be a gap less than 10 inches that must be filled by wood. In this case, we will need to
bring other wood that are skinnier to accommodate for this. Also, the turns will be a problem.
For this, we will wait until the 4x4s have been laid out and then will cut the wood on sight with
power saws to fit the correct lengths and angles of the turn. This will be easier than trying to
calculate the measurements and angles of the turn before we start because even the slightest
mistake while constructing the boardwalk could result in a change in the calculations that were
made. There will be lunch that will be provided by my family as well on this day and drinks.
Once the boardwalk is completed, I will put down two small ramps at both ends of the
boardwalk.
Day 5: This day is a backup day to finish anything that went wrong. It will consist of mostly me
and maybe some family and friends depending on if anything still needs to be finished.

6. Picture of the boardwalk turns
Picture of the Boardwalk construction:

7. Summary: Overall, I believe that the construction of this boardwalk has good potential and can
truly help the school and the community while teaching me good leadership as I will have to
plan, organize, and coordinate the construction of it. If you have any other ideas or suggestions
please feel free to share these with me.

8. Review Board
Comments from Proposal Review:
 Flag stones on the end of joints to avoid concavity
 Ramp or steps to get up the boardwalk
 Use screws instead of nails
 Pre drill to make sure the screwing is easy
 Dig down the flagstones and make sure they’re flat
 Talk to Lowes for donations
 Figure out how to join the wood together
 Possibly stagger the 4x4 to make jointing easier
 Get the right kind of screws
 Possibly construct the board outside of the path
 When it snows in winter the boardwalk may be out of view, possibly put up a sign
 Safety is a good time to show leadership in the tight area, come up with good way to
manage hot to keep people from getting hurt
 What are we going to do without electricity out there
 Figure out how to haul the wood out there
 Do a time log to show who I’m meeting with
 Think of backup plans for everything such as if not enough people show up or if the
weather is bad
 Need a power saw to cut the wood for turns
 Need the flagstones at all joints, possibly get longer 4x4s
 Draw a new joint diagram
 Get more details on metal joints
 Talk to Home Depot for the specific screws I need
 Use 4x6s across the flagstones and lay the 4x4s over it
How the Project will be different then the proposal: The main difference between the project
and the proposal is the fact that when I proposed the project, I intended on building the
boardwalk so that a golf cart could traverse it. As the project went on, this task became more
and more of a problem and made the boardwalk much more expensive. I talked to the principal
of the school Mr. Lichte (whom I did the project for) and he said that it would be okay to create
the boardwalk without having to allow the golf cart go across it. Also, the structure of the
boardwalk changed, adding a 4x6 piece of wood connecting the two flagstones and then resting
the 4x4s on top of it.

9. Will the changes be more or less helpful to the beneficiary: Changing the boardwalk plans so
that it doesn’t need to have a golf cart cross it is less helpful to the beneficiary, but only by a
little. It is a nature path that is almost always traversed on foot so when the golf cart gets back
there and gets to the point of the boardwalk it will just have to turn around. However, the
change in structure is very helpful. The new structure is much stronger than the originally
planned one and is raised off the ground to allow the water to flow under it and not pool
around the wood and rot it.
Present Condition of Path: This was discussed under the safety section earlier as well, but the
main two things are that it is a narrow path with a width about five feet and the section of the
path can become muddy after rainfall. These were two obstacles during the construction. The
small area we were working made safety a priority since we were using power drills back there
in such a small proximity to each other. This was adjusted for by having everyone using a power
tool or carrying wood have a buddy who would watch out for other people working. This was
the person working could focus on their work while the other person watched their
surroundings for the safety of the worker. The path was a little muddy when the team put in
the flagstones the day before which was actually a little beneficial since it allowed us to easily
dig into the ground.
Introduction Plan: I planned a short introduction where I thanked everyone for coming and told
them the basis of my project. I had an example of a ten foot long boardwalk section set up in
front of them for a diagram. I explained what we were going to carry in first, what we were
going to do to hold it together, and the difficulties we were going to have with the turns. I made
up teams of scouts; one to carry the wood, one to place the wood, one to trim overgrown parts
of the path, and a small group to construct the turns. After this I went over safety protocol and
then we got started.

10. Post Project Summary
What went well: The project as a whole went over very well. The weather was great, a lot of
volunteers should up, and the boardwalk was entirely constructed in just about three hours of
work. The assembly of the boardwalk was very good and well planned out so people knew what
to do when I told them to do it. It also helped that I had an example stretch of boardwalk set
out at the beginning to show everybody what it was going to look like.
What was challenging: The challenging parts of the project were trying to find something to do
for all my volunteer scouts, keep everybody safe in such a small area, and communicate to the
entire group at once. I had a backup job for scouts to do just in case I did get too many
volunteers to help on just the boardwalk so I sent a group of seven scouts out on the rest of the
path and gave them trimming equipment to clean up the path at any points it had overgrown.
There were no injuries and the safety procedure seemed to work well with having someone
watching a working person at all time, keeping them safe. I communicated to the entire group
as good as I could and was frequently updating adult leaders on what we were doing at other
parts of the sight, and then they would fill in all the scouts working with them.
Changes: There were only a few changes on the day of the project. One was that we decided to
run an extension cord all the way out to the boardwalk construction path so we could have
electricity out there. The other was that we used the extra flagstones and put them at the end
of the boardwalk to create a step to get up onto it.
Leadership Demonstration: I demonstrated leadership throughout the entire week of the
project. There were two days before the actual project where I led a team of three other
people. Day one we cut and moved the wood. I came up with a process to move, cut, and then
place the wood back in the trailer while also explaining to them the importance of safety. The
second day, we laid the flagstone and I again explained to them what we were doing and how
we had to do it. I showed leadership by helping one of the scouts when he couldn’t carry a
heavy flagstone I carried it for him, and another time someone was having trouble laying a
flagstone I came over and helped him out. The biggest display of leadership however, came
from my safety plan. I developed and executed a safety plan in which everyone had a partner
and was kept safe. I watched over the plan throughout the entire day and in a few cases made
sure that the kids were always watching out for each other and keeping each other safe. I also
demonstrated leadership when I pulled the entire group of 25 together at the beginning of the
day and took time to introduce myself, thank them for coming, and explain the project. Then,
when some of the adults had suggestions that we both agreed upon I would explain it to the
entire group and make sure that everyone understood. An example of this came when we were
on the trail and just starting to join the 4x4s to the 4x6s. A group of four kids did not
understand what was going on (I heard one of them mumble this). Once I heard this I explained

11. to the group of boys for the next couple minutes why we needed to attach the 4x4s until I was
sure they understood. Then, I gave them the job of watching the 4x4s and making sure that
they were lined up in the right spot before they were nailed into place.
Most Difficult Thing about Leading: The most difficult part about leading was having to watch
over all 25 people at once and make sure that everyone knew what their role was and what
they had to do to accomplish it. People can get off task easy and I had to make sure everyone
was busy.
Most Rewarding Thing about Leading: The most rewarding part was definitely seeing the
completed project and realizing that I designed and led the construction of it. This is definitely
something that I will remember for the rest of my life and that boardwalk will be there for a
very long time, a testament to the hard work I put into becoming an Eagle Scout.
What I Learned about Leadership: The biggest thing I learned was to make sure I use patience
when dealing with people, especially younger scouts. People may not always understand what
I’m trying to tell them right away so I need to show patience and try to explain what I’m trying
to do in better detail. I did this by setting up visuals and drawing diagrams.