Eagle Scout Sighted in Bird Sanctuary

Eagle Scout Jayden Thomas has been busy this summer. A Haverford School senior and member of Troop 176 in Narberth, he led an impressive effort to enhance and restore the local bird sanctuary. The work, his Eagle Scout Service Project, focused on improving habitat for local bird populations and creating opportunities for visitors to learn about and enjoy the park’s natural environment.

Throughout the project, he worked closely with and was mentored by Cathy Bell, a member of The Garden Workers, a local affiliate of the Garden Club of America. He’s pictured above with Garden Workers Cathy Bell (left) and Brooke McInnes.

Jayden’s inspiration for the project came from discovering a geocache during a school community service day in Sharpe Park. (Geocaches are sought in a kind of outdoor scavenger hunt using GPS coordinates to locate hidden caches.) After finding one in Sharpe Park while doing cleanup work there, he grew passionate about strengthening the park’s ecosystem and enhancing it as a welcoming destination for both wildlife and local residents.

The project included removing invasive plant species and replacing them with native plants in a garden bed under the Sharpe Park sign, as well as constructing birdhouses and locating them throughout the park. In addition, educational QR-code markers were installed to provide information about local birds and plants.

As project leader, Jayden was responsible for researching birdhouse designs, creating technical CAD drawings, coordinating the preparation of materials with a woodworking shop and conducting site assessments to determine optimal planting locations and birdhouse placement. After more than 15 hours of planning and coordination with The Garden Workers, Jayden organized three volunteer workdays in August, bringing together 21 volunteers who contributed a total of 87 service hours toward the habitat restoration project.