An Eagle for wood ducks
Scout builds nesting houses in the Assunpink
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Staff Writer

Boy Scout Matt Reilly, 16, of Allentown received his Eagle Scout rank in a court of honor ceremony Sept. 29 at the Allentown Presbyterian Church in Allentown.

ALLENTOWN — Matt Reilly became an "Eagle" for helping the wood ducks.

The 16-year-old borough resident and member of Boy Scout Troop 180 received his Eagle Scout Award in a court of honor ceremony Sept. 29 at the Allentown Presbyterian Church in Allentown.

For his Eagle project, Matt led a crew of 16 volunteers in building and installing nesting houses for wood ducks, a species living in the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area (AWMA).

"I was always leaning toward a project helping endangered species," Matt said. "AWMA is listed as an Important Bird Area (IBA), so it goes with their mission to improve the number of a bird species. Bird watchers and waterfowl hunters would also benefit from increases in wood duck numbers."

After contacting the AWMA to see if he could complete an Eagle Scout project there, Matt received a phone call from biologist Amanda Dey, of the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP).

Clockwise from top: Members and advisers of Troop 180 help Scout Matt Reilly complete his Eagle Scout project by erecting birdhouses in the Assunpink Wildlife Reservation Area. This new nesting house will serve to protect wood ducks, a threatened species.

"She said the ENSP is trying to push the installation of boxes for cavity-nesting species since natural cavities are in short supply, and currently has a program installing kestrel nest boxes at the Assunpink," Matt said. "She suggested other cavity-nesting species I could install nesting boxes for. The one that stood out for me was the wood duck and the project just took off from there."

The project took almost a year to complete, starting on April 7, 2008, and ending with the installation of the boxes on March 21. Matt started by writing a proposal and getting approval from the AWMA and the Boy Scout Council. Then, he scouted out sites for the boxes and drew up construction plans.

"The Scouts and adults of Troop 180 helped me to construct and deploy the boxes," Matt said.

The project helped him develop his leadership, communication and expensehandling skills as he had to negotiate donations, direct volunteers and oversee a budget, he said. Riephoff Sawmill in Allentown donated the rough sawn oak the boxes were constructed from and the locust posts they were mounted on. Home Depot took $100 off Matt's $127 bill for galvanized hardware.

Steve Stein, who served as Matt's Eagle adviser, said, "Matt learned during his Eagle project that face-to-face communication is the most effective, and he used that to get the job done."

Stein said Matt's Eagle Scout project book, which all Scouts trying to attain the rank of Eagle have to create, was particularly impressive.

"Matt's was detailed, clear, well-written and the most organized book I've seen yet," Stein said.

On the road to Eagle, Matt also earned 23 merit badges and spent many hours camping and doing community service projects. He has also held several leadership positions in Troop 180, which he transferred to in 2006 from Boy Scout Troop 624 at St. John's Church in Allentown.

Matt said he has stayed with the program over the years because he enjoys camping and canoeing and knew that many of the skills — such as first aid and personal management — he would learn in Scouting would benefit him later in life.

"Since I still have two more years in Scouting, I hope to continue going on campouts and maybe earn a few more merit badges," Matt said. "Also, I would like to pass on some of my knowledge to those just joining Scouts."

Troop 180 Scoutmaster Bill Hoover presented Matt with the Eagle Scout Award. Matt is the troop's first Eagle Scout for 2009, but there are other Scouts expected to attain the rank soon, according to Stein.

"Since Bill Hoover has been Scoutmaster, there have been 17 Scouts to earn the Eagle rank in Troop 180," Stein said.

Troop 180 currently has 37 Scouts, ranging in age from 11 to 18.

"The Scout law requires Scouts to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent," Stein said.

He continued, "The boys hold these values to heart. They act as a unit and build strong friendships. They spend a lot of time in nature and learn many skills that they will use throughout their lives. They grow to be leaders with a great sense of responsibility to themselves, their families, friends and community. They will be excellent citizens."

Matt is a junior at Allentown High School, where he is active in cross-country. At this time, he has aspirations of a career in civil engineering.