Scout builds Eagle project for OACS Eagles

Jonathan Le Morvan is working toward a second chance to be an Eagle.

The first came when the Ocoee High School senior attended Oakland Avenue Charter School — whose mascot is an eagle — from kindergarten through fifth grade. The second occasion is through Boy Scout Troop 210, in Winter Garden.

When it came time for Le Morvan, 17, to choose an Eagle scout project, he learned of an opportunity at his elementary school in Oakland. The Bloom & Grow Garden Society provided a $1,500 grant to OACS last year, and Principal Pam Dwyer reached out to the troop and offered several project ideas.

Le Morvan jumped on the opportunity and met with Dwyer last summer to discuss the details of the campus project. Dwyer told him her vision was to have six raised garden beds — one for each of the grade levels.

“She left it up to me to design it,” he said. “I had to budget everything and plan it all out. I had to look at materials and get the best price.”

In addition to building the boxes, his work also included researching how to fill a garden bed with the appropriate pea gravel, soil layers and compost and how to install a drip irrigation system.

Although the original plan was six simple garden beds, Le Morvan added a timer- and pressure-controlled irrigation system to each bed spigot. He added a thick bed of rubber mulch to match the ground covering at the nearby playground.

About 12 hours later — with the added manpower of more than 20 adults and former and current scouts over two days — the school garden was finished.

The school painted the boxes red and blue, the OACS colors.

Le Morvan ended up spending $1,300 on his project; he’s hoping the money left over will be used to buy seeds.

School guidance counselor Karen Kieffer is a big proponent of healthy choices, Dwyer said, and she is looking into buying some organic seeds once school officials decide what should be planted.

A picket fence was installed near the garden, and fifth grade ambassadors painted designs to give it a colorful personality.

“I absolutely love it,” Dwyer said. “He matched our vision completely. … We used to go to the community garden, but it was overwhelming. This is the perfect size. … I’m really, really proud of it.”

“I’m just glad I could finish this project for them,” Le Morvan said. “I really wanted to … have the kids be able to use it in later years. … It ended up really well. I really like it. It turned out just like the vision was in my head. And the principal is proud of it.”

Le Morvan started scouting with Cub Scout Pack 578 at Oakland Presbyterian Church before crossing over to Troop 210 at the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden. Steve Eisinger is the scoutmaster.

Le Morvan now has until Feb. 7  — his 18th birthday — to complete a few more merit badges and schedule his board review. He is the son of Fanny and John Paul Le Morvan, of Ocoee. Fanny Le Morvan’s company, Amazon Design Graphics Inc., is donating plaques to be affixed to each box with the grade level and Jonathan Le Morvan’s name.