For my Eagle Scout Service Project, I plan to create a landscaped seating area and walkway as well as controlling water runoff. These will be adjacent to the schoolhouse within The Red Mill Museum Village in Clinton, NJ. The site of the project is currently undeveloped land (see Photo 1). There are large amounts of roots and issues with the runoff of rainwater from the roof of the nearby schoolhouse and the ridge behind the building. The lack of development around the schoolhouse presents tripping and safety concerns due to exposed tree roots and unstable soil. 

The plan for my project entails creating a seating area, water mitigation system, garden area and walking paths (see diagram 1). The overall size of the site is approximately 40 ft by 55 ft. The seating area includes creating a 12 ft by 8 ft wood chip area to contain 2, 6 ft benches surrounded by a wood lined border. The benches will be made out of recycled composite material ensuring years of reliability and will be moveable to accommodate a variation of seating arrangements. This area is intended to benefit school children and other groups that will use the site for story time or other events. To preserve the structure of the schoolhouse a rock drainage area will be installed along the right border of the building. The drainage system will consist of a buried 30 ft x 3.5 inch in diameter perforated corrugated composite drain pipe. The drain pipe will be covered with river rocks and will flow downward towards the river. The benefit will be to save the base of the building as well as preserve the plantings off the edge of the side. The interior garden area will mainly consist of pachysandra and will also include a boxwood bush. The pachysandra will serve as a ground cover to hide the tree roots, hold soil in place, and fill in the space with a more attractive overall look. The purpose of the boxwood is to inhibit visitors from walking through the pachysandra and guide them into using the new walking paths. The aim is to both upgrade the aesthetic of the area as well as make the area easier to traverse.