GreenTalk - Winter 1998

Eagle Scout Plants Deep-Roots

Anthony Scully knew he would someday earn his Eagle Scout rank, but he never dreamed he would be involved with his local village, a federal agency and county agency, the local park district and about 70 volunteers in order to accomplish it. Anthony, a 15-year-old sophomore at Conant High School in Elk Grove Village, originally decided he wanted to do a cleanup project in his community to earn his rank. Instead, he ended up planning and developing a planting project that will help stabilize and beautify a portion of Salt Creek in his hometown.

Anthony Scully's efforts led to this prairie and creek bank stabilization in Elk Grove Village.

According to his mother, Pam, Anthony started out with a simple idea. But with his father also involved in Scouting and about to become a Scoutmaster, "Anthony knew he couldn't just get by with a simple project." So, Anthony contacted Nick Nikola with Friends of Critters in Salt Creek to begin looking into potential projects.

"I like creeks and their (surrounding) area," says Anthony. "It's interesting how everything works. I got a soil and water conservation merit badge for it (the project)."

Although Anthony had never done a native planting project, he was eager to learn. "Everything was pretty new, and I liked it!" he said. That was in January of this year when he first spoke with Nikola who then guided Anthony to contact Rick McAndless at the North Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). "Rick McAndless began talking to Anthony about Salt Creek and informed us that there had been a lot of soil erosion. He (McAndless) was interested in getting involved," said Nikola. The SWCD explained that there would be a lot of legwork on Anthony's part and that he should set up a meeting with the agencies involved.

Because of the nature of the project, Anthony needed to check on what permits needed to be obtained. But he did his homework -- checking at the library and a local nursery on types of native plants that could be used in the area. He presented his ideas to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the county Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Elk GroveVillage Board. Through his many meetings, Anthony recruited a committee of five experts to meet with him twice a month for the planning and execution of his project.

"I don't think he knew what he was getting himself into," recalls Pam. "It was more than just getting seeds. He had to send letters, make phone calls, prepare agendas for meetings. Then he had to let the grownups talk and offer suggestions."

It turned into a project of more than 450 accumulated hours.

Anthony Scully earned his Eagle Scout rank with his creek restoration project.

After the plans were approved, Anthony began to prepare the land and to choose plants. "We had a grader come in to clear the bank and shave it to a slope," recalls Anthony as he leafed through his journal. "It was a two-to-one slope, one foot down for every two feet, (where) plants could grow and people could walk."

The first planting took place in May. The seeds and plants had been carefully chosen to suit the region, the stream area, and sunlight conditions. Anthony and the committee decided to use a combination of seeds and plugs. On the first five feet crew of volunteers planted Prairie Cord grass, Blunt Spike rush, yellow cone flower, Virginia Wild Rye, Black-eyed Susan among others. Ten feet further they created a riparian zone for seeds. They also planted 18" silky dogwoods on the other side of the creek.

Most of the project was funded by donations and in-kind contributions. Anthony's father's construction company did most of the land preparation and paid for the volunteers' lunches and tools. The Ernst Seeding Taylor Creek Restoration Nursery donated seeds. The park district and village each contributed $500 for plants. Anthony was responsible for recruiting volunteers and providing a cooler and ice for a cost of $7.

The only surprise for Anthony came on the weekend of the planting when 76 volunteers, including fellow Scouts, showed up to work. "I was expecting about 20 people. It turned out to be too many people and not enough jobs, but I made sure everyone stayed busy," says Anthony with a soft chuckle.

Nikola was equally impressed with the effort and the results. "It's one of the better volunteer efforts that I've seen, from the installation and coordination of resources to completing the project." Others apparently agreed. He's been featured on a local cable program and Land and Water magazine.

As for the future, Anthony thinks he'll follow in his father's footsteps into the construction business armed with a new understanding of the value of land. "This was a good experience," says Anthony. "It taught me how the ground works, how water systems fit in, and how my (construction) job would be."

And he offers advice to other students with similar ideas. "If you're interested, you should try it ... I thought it was fun and cool!"