Community Corner
Eagle Scout Candidate Uses Project to Bring New Opportunities to Timberlin Park
Mason Paul has always enjoyed his walks at Timberlin Park, but his family would struggle as they hiked with the dog through the wetlands – so he came up with a solution to benefit everyone in Berlin.
Walking through the hiking trails at Timberlin Park, the weekend hikes for Berlin resident Mason Paul and his family would come to a sudden end when they approached the creek on Emilia Green Trail with their dogs. The wetlands were impossible to cross and the family activity would turn into a struggle.
So when it came time for Paul, who just turned 18, to put together his Eagle Scout candidacy project, he knew exactly what he wanted to do – build a bridge that would allow for a continuous, safe and enjoyable trek through the trails.
“I never pictured a project of this scale, but as I began talking about it, it seemed like something I could do and something that would have a positive impact,” Paul said. “I have always been interested in engineering, so the project also made sense for me.”
A freshman at the University of Hartford with a major in mechanical engineering, the project quickly took legs from there. Over a five-month period, he was able to fundraise the parts for it, obtain all necessary approvals from planning boards and even solicit friends and other volunteers to help put together the 22-foot bridge.
With two weekends of work in October, the rest as they say is history.
“It has been impressive to see all he was able to do,” said his mother, Michele Fischer-Paul. “He’s really made an effort to not only do it, but make sure it was done right.”
For Mason Paul, the work may simply be a glimpse into what the future holds. Not only is he an aspiring engineer, but hope to one day work with cars to make them more eco-friendly and efficient for users. He said he would also consider additional projects like this in the future.
“It’s not something where I’m looking for recognition,” Paul said. “I love building things, so my hope is that I could continue to do something like this for people, things that are fun and help everyone.”
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