Reflecting on my Eagle Scout Service Project at Wilderness Park
By Paul Carson
This summer, I had the opportunity to work with the SBPC to complete my Eagle Scout Project at Hopkins Wilderness Park. Months of planning and preparation culminated on the weekend of September 14-15th, 2024, where volunteer scouts and adults from Troop 860 and I cleared an overgrown area to transform it into a space for raising native plants.
Wilderness Park has always been special to me for its rugged and organic parkland. Growing up, it gave me a sense of adventure and connection with nature that well-kept lawns didn’t offer. Throughout my time with Scouting, I only grew more appreciative of how Wilderness Park exposed people to a more natural, wild green space. This is why the SBPC’s rewilding initiative at parks around the South Bay, resonated so deeply with me. It inspired me to choose a project that would contribute to the SBPC’s efforts of revitalizing Wilderness Park.
I started by reaching out to Jacob Varvarigos, VP of Project Development at SBPC, to discuss a couple of project ideas. With his guidance, I decided on a project to enable the SBPC to grow and propagate native plants. The plan was to clear the vegetation, level the ground, and build two nursery tables and a potting table. The site selected for this native plant nursery was an overgrown space near the end of the parking lot.
To inform my designs, I frequented Madrona Marsh’s native plant nursery area. In my plans, I focused on ensuring sturdiness and longevity. This focus guided many design decisions, such as using pressure treated wood and pavers to minimize wood-to-soil contact that could hasten rot.
With my plans ready and blueprints sketched out, I moved on to obtaining the necessary approvals from the SBPC board, my troop, the Pacifica Scouting district, and the City of Redondo Beach. After navigating a series of emails, calls, and meetings, I received swift approvals. That enabled me to start fundraising, buying materials, and gathering volunteers. Thanks to donations from friends, family, and community members, we raised over $1000 to buy the necessary building materials and supplies. Furthermore, the City of Redondo Beach was also a big support and helped remove some of the larger vegetation and old stumps.
On the morning of the first day, we began preparing the worksite by removing vegetation and leveling the ground. Despite encountering more roots than expected, our team worked efficiently to remove them and create an even surface for the nursery tables. At the same time, we set up a miter saw and cut 8 ft 2x4s, 2x6s, and 4x4s to size. After cutting, we coated the ends with a weather-resistant sealant. Due to everyone’s hard work, by the end of the day we were also able to complete the construction of the potting table. The next day was dedicated to building the two propagation tables, first in pieces and then assembling the parts together. With the wood already cut, the construction went smoothly. Lastly, we lifted the tables up and put them all into place. Altogether, over 20 volunteers worked over 100 hours, resulting in a successful transformation of the overgrown area into a functional nursery for the native plants.
This project will have lasting benefits for the conservancy. Seedlings of native plants are vulnerable and need nurturing to thrive, but until now, the SBPC did not have a dedicated place to grow them. The conservancy currently purchases natives from third-party nurseries, sometimes paying as much as $8 per plant. But by independently propagating natives on nursery tables we constructed, the SBPC can begin to reduce this expense and reallocate those funds to other conservation efforts. In short, this project strengthens the SBPC’s ability to reintroduce native flora to Wilderness Park in a more economical and sustainable way.
Working with the SBPC and the city to make this project happen was an incredible experience. Everyone was welcoming and supportive, and I encourage other aspiring Eagle Scouts to collaborate with the SBPC and consider Wilderness Park as the location for their service project. There are big plans for the future of Hopkins Wilderness Park. I’m really excited to see how things unfold. I am grateful to have played a role in the effort, and I can’t wait to see the results of my work sprouting around the park grounds.
SBPC will manage and maintain the area, as it is an added resource to our restoration and education programs in Wilderness Park. This propagation area is Phase 2 of a Seed Propagation Program. Phase 1 included the start of the seed gleaning program.