Thomas Dufour of Catawba County recently completed his Eagle Scout project at Rocky Face Park in Hiddenite. The 16-year-old constructed a turtle habitat this summer at the park’s new multipurpose building, located at 3645 Rocky Face Church Road.
Dufour said he chose the project because it provided a habitat for a turtle the park had, plus he wanted to help educate the public about aquatic turtles. The habitat required 44 hours of labor to complete.
“The process of building the turtle habitat was a long and complex process. I designed the habitat, and then bought the cypress wood,” Dufour, an 11th grade student at Newton-Conover High School, stated. “My first idea for building the sides of the habitat didn’t work, so my volunteers and I improvised, and screwed vertical planks of wood on the sides to hold it together.”
As one can tell, Dufour and his volunteers learned a lot along the way during the habitat construction.
“After we built the walls, we connected them using wooden stilts and side bars for support,” he said. “Then I designed the lid for the habitat, and began to construct it.”
Once the habitat components were complete, Dufour and his volunteers transported the habitat to Rocky Face Park, where they assembled and leveled it.
“While working on this project, I gained woodworking skills, plant knowledge, and knowledge of turtles,” Dufour related. “As I progressed through making the habitat, I learned this project was easier said than done, and I gained a new appreciation for woodworking.”
Alisha Stamey, Park Ranger, said she appreciates Dufour’s project at Rocky Face Park.
“We’ve had several several Eagle Scout projects completed at Rocky Face Park, and Mr. Dufour’s addition is very much appreciated,” Stamey said. “He did an excellent job on this turtle habitat, which will be here for many years to come.”