The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Local scout builds birdwatching platform at preserve
HARWINTON — Joseph H. Sefcik, a Life Scout member of Goshen Troop 35 and a resident of Harwinton, began his Eagle Scout project on Nov. 12 at the Bull Pond Preserve for the Harwinton Land Trust.
One of the requirements to earn the Eagle Rank is to create and lead a project that benefits and has a positive impact on the community. Sefcik’s Eagle project is making an elevated birdwatching platform at the northwest section of the Bull Pond Preserve for the Harwinton Land Trust.
This will benefit the community because it will give people an elevated place to see and observe the birds and other wildlife without them going into and disturbing the wetlands area.
Sefcik began initial preparations for the project last year and, this summer, gained all the necessary township approvals to begin construction.
To help him in his endeavors, the company his father works for, O&G Industries Inc of Torrington, gave him a generous donation of money and equipment to help him in his project. Other generous benefactors included Iffland Lumber of Torrington, which donated the concrete for the footings; Lowe’s of Torrington, which donated or sold at cost the decking materials; True Value/Just Ask Rentals of Litchfield, which discounted their equipment rental to cost; Paul Begley, who paid for the equipment rental; and Larry Connors, who provided a staging area for all the supplies, helped transport the supplies to the jobsite, cut lumber to size to help lay out the foundations, and provided technical assistance.
Work began by accurately laying out the footing locations and transporting the materials to the site. Work continued the following Sunday, Nov. 19, when the footings were drilled and poured. Work on the project will resume in the spring to install the remaining part of the platform and, weather depending, will be open for use in the summer for visitors on the trail.
Sefcik has received a lot of support and offers for help from the town’s Facebook Page, Harwinton Happenings. In fact, that’s where he received the generous offer from Paul Begley to pay for the equipment rental, which will be used to auger the foundation holes.
A special mention goes out to Don Truskauskas, who donated hay bales to keep the concrete warm until they cured — the crew called him at the end of the day at the last minute and, within 10 minutes, he was on site delivering the hay.
Joseph Sefcik, his brother Mattthew, a member of Troop 35; younger sister Mallory, who just earned a Girl Scout Bronze Award, and his father, Joe Sefcik, installed foundation footings for Joseph’s Eagle Scout project.