Guggenberger earns his final badge by honoring both his community and nature
If you happened to take a stroll through North Andover’s Weir Hill over the summer, odds are high that you traversed a newly built footbridge, one that extends 80 feet over a boggy area with a small stream. You can tip your hat to Eagle Scout Will Guggenberger ’24 for the smooth sailing.
A native of North Andover, Guggenberger has been hiking Weir Hill ever since he can remember. When the time came for him to select a project in order to reach the rank of Eagle Scout, he landed on one that would give back to the land and community he calls home—replacing an older, worn footbridge with one that would serve hikers, trail runners, cyclists, and skiers, as well as the land over which the bridge spans.
Eagle Scout projects come as the result of an immense amount of thought, collaboration, and hard work, and are meant to showcase a scout’s leadership abilities. Projects are focused completely on creating a special and significant impact in the scout’s community. To help accomplish his project, Guggenberger enlisted the help of Jeremy Dick. Weir Hill is owned and cared for by the Trustees of Reservations; Dick serves as the stewardship manager for properties north of Boston.
“Jeremy and I researched dozens of different bridge designs, looking at who was going to travel across the new bridge, how deep the water could get, and what type of ground it would go over,” says Guggeberger. Ultimately, the pair selected a design that focused on the needs of pedestrians primarily, keeping the bridge 3 feet above the lowest point of elevation, not only to allow users to pass safely but also to allow for optimal water flow beneath the bridge. The addition of kick rails on both sides of the bridge also serves two purposes; it serves as a guide for bikers and cross-country skiers, and is also a neat aerodynamic feature which, in the winter, will help wind blow more evenly across the bridge and keep snow from crowning along the middle of the bridge.
After submitting his design for approval, it was time to build! Over the course of Labor Day weekend last fall, a group of fellow scouts, friends and family members joined Guggenberger, Dick, and a second Trustees employee to demolish the old bridge, clear the debris, measure, shim, and level the new sills, and haul and install the new timber treads and kick rails.
A nine-page workbook attachment submitted to Scout leadership detailed Guggenberger’s plans for the bridge, complete with maps, designs, progress reports, and photos. He presented to the Town of North Andover’s Conservation Commission to gain approval for the project and later to report on its completion.
Guggenberger was officially named an Eagle Scout at a Court of Honor held on June 9 at the Emerson Center in Topsfield.
He says it’s surreal to be on the other side of the experience. “I’ve been in Boy Scouts since first grade. I’ve looked up to Eagle Scouts in my troop for years, and now I’m one of them.”
Among the skills he’s learned throughout his years as a scout, he says leadership is one of the most valuable, especially when it comes to communication.
“Each rank has different requirements, some of which involve a board of review. I feel so much more comfortable during interviews and public speaking now because of the practice I’ve had presenting to people, being asked questions, and having to communicate with adults.”
Now that his project is complete, Guggenberger is looking forward to fully enjoying his final trips as a scout. “Now that I have my Eagle rank,” he says, “I can help younger scouts as well as give back to those who are working on their Eagle projects.”