William Sullivan, Eagle Scout Candidate, Gives Back to Panther Creek State Park!

MORRISTOWN, Tenn. - Oct. 20, 2017 - PRLog -- Will Sullivan, an Eagle Scout candidate with Boy Scout Troop 91 and the son of Sheri and Robin Sullivan, decided to focus his Eagle Scout project on the park close to home… the park he loves...Panther Creek.

Will's Eagle Scout project consisted of enhancing the bird aviary next to the park's visitor center (currently a Barred Owl known as Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt's habitat) at Panther Creek State Park.  The aviary was already in place, but there was no easy way to view Teddy.

Will relocated two trees (he chose to replant the trees rather than cut them down), rebuilt and stained the bench (enhancing the view of the aviary), constructed a drainage system and retaining wall (reducing the amount of standing water around the aviary and making it more accessible for visitors and park rangers), created a sidewalk to the aviary (making it ADA compliant as well as making it easy for all park visitors to access) , and installed a donation tube so that visitors can easily make donations towards the maintenance of Teddy and the Birds of Prey Program.  There was an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and relief as he headed off to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico for 10 days of adventure just two days after finishing the work on his project.

Will's Dad, Robin Sullivan (an Eagle Scout himself, and Assistant Scout Master with Troop 91), was his mentor and helped Will understand how to break down a project of this magnitude into manageable pieces, utilize the wonderful volunteers to work on different aspects of the project at the same time and make big changes to the project as it was in progress.


Will was able to complete his project with the help of many volunteers and donors. Most of the volunteers came from other scouts within Troop 91.  Donors for his project came from a combination of local businesses, friends and family.  Will is very appreciative of all of the donors (too many to mention them all), and lists the corporate donors on a sign attached to the new bench at the park.  A special thank you to Tony Bledsoe of Bledsoe Concrete Services and Tony Buell of Concrete Materials for their generous donations of time, expertise and materials when laying the sidewalk to the aviary.  Due to the many donations (both individual and corporate), Will is able to present a check for over $300 to the park as a donation to help the Birds of Prey program.

Will hopes to be approved for the rank of Eagle Scout soon and plans to celebrate the achievement in a ceremony on Boy Scout Sunday at First United Methodist Church in February 2018.