Sophomore’s Eagle Scout project brings safety and utility to local nature center; student represents the 15th from Notre Dame to attain scouting’s highest rank.
Sophomore Austin Greif stands on the bridge he built for his Eagle Scout project. Greif is the 15th Notre Dame student in recent years who earned the rare Eagle Scout designation.
“When I began researching what I wanted to do for my Eagle Scout project, I knew I wanted to do something that involved nature,” said Greif, who became the 15th Notre Dame student in recent years to receive the Eagle designation.
And where in nature would he find the perfect project but a place he was very familiar with: the E. Dale Fisk Hawk Woods Nature Center located in Auburn Hills. He had noticed a bridge on the park’s busy walking path that crosses Galloway Creek. It was badly in need of repairs and upgrading, so he got a hold of the park’s resident naturalist, Mike Mansour, and presented his idea and plan to fix it.
Greif is on the old, narrow bridge at the E. Dale Fisk Hawk Woods Nature Center in Auburn Hills before he began his project.
Bigger and better
Greif determined that the labor part of the project wasn’t going to be a problem because he and his large network of family, friends and fellow scouts were more than willing to pitch in. But he needed to raise money for the materials, which looked to be fairly extensive due to the poor condition of the bridge and the fact that he wanted to build the bridge substantially larger.
He raised a total of $1,437 for his project, which he said was due to the very generous donations of his family, fellow scouts, family friends and neighbors.
So, Austin began his project — a project he hoped would help people and one that would last a long time.
A total of 21 scouts and adult volunteers helped Greif complete his new bridge project.
“Once the frame and supports were done, we put the frame onto the supports,” he said. “Then we lined up all the boards that would make up the bridge decking and nailed them to the frame. After the bridge was complete, we installed a new sign and map to showcase the project and to give some information about the Clinton River Watershed.”
Notre Dame sophomore Austin Greif became an Eagle Scout earlier this year.
Greif initially started his scouting career when he was only seven years old as a Cub Scout with Pack 185 at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church.
“Back then, it was so much fun making new friends and participating in the different activities,” he said. “Things like designing cars to race in the Pinewood Derby Competition. As I grew up, I crossed over into Boy Scout Troop 185 (also at Our Lady of the Lakes) and I really enjoyed going through each of the phases of scouting.” He said the scouting program provided him with new experiences and allowed him to spend time with friends that he will never forget.
“In addition, I learned survival skills that can be used in emergencies to help myself and those around me,” he said. “On top of all of that, the most important thing I feel I have learned from scouting is leaderships skills. I now believe I have the ability to lead others and that will help me greatly throughout my college and future career.” Greif joins current NDP senior Anthony VanDieren, junior Logan Hand, sophomore Kevin Cragg and alums William Ballew, Logan Verheyen, Brennan Eagle, Tyler Obear, Ryan Flaherty, Ryan Dau, Erik Egner, Connor Verheyen, Jack Stouffer, Joe Lombardo and Peter Dondanville who also achieved Eagle Scout status in recent years.
Nationwide, only four percent of Boy Scouts are granted the rank of Eagle Scout.
An interesting sidebar to Greif’s journey to Eagle “Scout-hood” was what happened during the planning and fundraising phase of his project.
“In an incredible show of how much the rank of Eagle means to some folks, here’s a story about paying it forward,” he said. “After the 4th of July last year, I sent out a letter to my neighbors asking them to leave cans on their porch from their holiday parties and such so that I could pick them up as a fundraiser. One of my neighbors who my family had never met before refused to give cans and instead wanted to give a cash donation. Turns out the owner of the house is also an Eagle Scout, and he told me that he wanted to donate $300 toward my project. This was amazing because we had never met this family before.”
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.