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Pilgrim Lodge News
Camper Creates New Nature Trail
Ben DiSalvatore, Eagle Scout Candidate
July 29, 2014 - Ben DiSalvatore has been a camper at Pilgrim Lodge from the time he was in 3rd grade and hasn't missed a summer in 11 years. So when it was time to choose an Eagle Scout service project to achieve the highest rank in his Boy Scout troop, PL was a natural choice. "I wouldn't be the person I am today without my time at Pilgrim Lodge so this seemed like a perfect fit" said Ben.
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| Ben DiSalvatore explains the process to Director Bryan Breault |
Ben organized a spaghetti dinner at his local church, Hammond Street, United Church of Christ in Bangor, Maine, to raise funds for building materials. Pilgrim Lodge also received a grant from the United Church of Christ, Outdoor Ministries Association. Rev. Breault and Ben then walked the site and tagged trees with potential options for the trail. The Pilgrim Lodge site is replete with wetland, a fragile and fascinating ecosystem. Because the wetland bisects the property, the trails at one end of the camp were distinct from those on the other. With the help of Global Positioning Satellite and an iPhone, Bryan and Ben determined the shortest distance of wetland in which to connect the two parts of camp.
Ben
and his father Chris researched methods for creating walkways that would not
negatively impact the wetland while Bryan worked on local permitting. Ben,
with help from his family and members of his troop came to Pilgrim Lodge and
cleared the trails. Meanwhile at his home in Bangor, construction began on a
series of 11 twelve-foot frames used to lay across a series of
"permafloats." In June, Ben and his troop and family placed the
permafloats, laid the framework across them, and screwed down cedar decking
on top. Next they chained the frames to the floats. The entire structure
rises and falls with the water flow and does not inhibit the wetland at all.
The
trail starts behind the shop at same point as most of the other PL trails.
It runs parallel to the camp road and then crosses the long-term parking
road. Next, it traverses behind the ball field and deeper into the woods
where it comes to the edge of the former Beaver Pond at which point the
floating structure brings the traveler across the wetland to an old logging
trail. That trail crosses a stream (across which Ben built a smaller bridge)
and ends near the Farmhouse. One day, PL hopes to continue this trail on the
other side of the property until it meets with the existing "Red Trail",
allowing a hiker to access the entire camp.
Rev. Breault views the new trail as the fulfillment of a dream resulting in campers having access to several different natural environments for educational purposes and allowing them to utilize the entire property. Breault said "We are all very pleased and deeply grateful to Ben, his family and his Boy Scout troop for their dedication and hard work to make this dream a reality. Thank you Ben, and congratulations on your pending Eagle Scout status!"
