Harrison “Harry” Letourneau of Acushnet’s Troop 11 takes the Eagle Scout pledge while mom and dad, Elizabeth and Paul, look on during Harry’s Eagle Court of Honor on 8/10/24 at the Acushnet Senior Center. Photo by Sam Simoes.
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Harrison Letourneau is Acushnet Troop 11’s newest Eagle Scout. His Eagle Court of Honor was held this Saturday, 8/10/24, at the Council on Aging/Senior Center in Acushnet, making him the ninth Eagle in a troop that is only seven years old.
Harrison has been a Scout since the first grade, starting out in Cub Scout Pack 51 before transitioning to Troop 11. A lifelong resident of New Bedford, he chose to complete his project in the city.
Harrison’s project was to rehab and improve the Flora B. Pierce trail in the north end of the city. The trail had long been neglected and he wanted to bring attention to this beautiful and local piece of nature.
First he led a crew of scouts and peers to clear the overgrowth and remove the many fallen trees that blocked the paths. After that they hung new trail markers and placed benches along the trail for visitors to linger and enjoy the space.
The largest part of the undertaking came last with the construction of a forty foot long boardwalk through a wetland portion of the trail.
Acushnet Troop 11 Eagle Scouts, Noah Dion and Matt Tripp, present Harrison “Harry” Letourneau with his Eagle Scout neckerchief and slide during his Eagle Court of Honor on 8/10/24 at the Acushnet Senior Center. Photo by Sam Simoes.
The location where the boardwalk was needed is what drew Harrison to the idea of the trail as a potential Eagle project site. As visitors had piled logs and branches across the spot to try to use the trail, the wetland was getting more and more damaged.
Harrison collaborated with New Bedford Parks & Rec project manager Valovia Costa and Environmental Conservation Commission Agent Chancery Perks to complete this project.
Harrison will attend University of Maine at Machias this fall to continue learning as an Environmental Studies Major and hopes to pass on his love for the outdoors to future generations of Scouts.
To learn more about Troop 11, find them on Facebook at Acushnet Scouting: Boy Scout Troop 11.
Harrison “Harry” Letourneau of Acushnet’s Troop 11 presents his mother, Elizabeth with her Eagle Scout parent pin, while dad, Paul, looks on during Harry’s Eagle Court of Honor on 8/10/24 at the Acushnet Senior Center. Photo by Sam Simoes.
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