We are so pleased to have another alumni complete his Eagle Scout Project on campus. Nicholas Yarkhan graduated from Tate’s Middle School in May of 2022 and is a Senior at the L&N STEM Academy. He approached us in the fall about adding a bat habitat on campus and last Saturday his plan came to fruition. With the help our maintenance team and Chris Strevel, Scout Troop 20 got to work. They installed 3 bat houses below the barn near the base of the “Hill of Doom” and Taboo’s tree. They also built and installed two benches and cleared brush around the existing benches in that area of campus.
“I wanted to do this project because I care deeply about wildlife conservation and wanted to make a meaningful difference in the local ecosystem. When I was in middle school at Tate’s, my science teacher Mr. Edwards guided us in a long term project proposal where I initially thought of the importance of bats. Bats are incredibly valuable for pollination and natural pest control, and I saw a real opportunity to support them by installing bat houses. Tate’s was the perfect place to make an impact; not only does the campus have the outdoor space and natural setting bats prefer, but it’s also a learning environment where students can observe the bats and become more aware of the importance of conservation, and see important examples of keystone species supporting an environment.” –Nicholas Yarkhan
A special shout out to the educator that inspired his project, Alex Edwards, and to Chris Strevel worked with Nicholas and hosted the troop on Saturday (all day) and took photos. Click the video below to watch a montage of the construction and installation! If you have any questions about bats or bat resources, please touch base with Michelle Clark, our resident bat expert.
