(Through the efforts of twin brothers, two elevated walkways were built as part of the nature trail at Cherry Hill’s Barclay Farmstead, at no cost to the taxpayers. The walkways will make the flood-prone parts of the trail much easier and safer to use.

Frank and Tim Dougherty, of Downs Farms in Cherry Hill, both initiated and coordinated separate projects at the farmstead just before their eighteenth birthdays, in order to earn their Eagle Scout Badges.

My project intends to become a long lasting landmark upon the trails of the Barclay Farmstead that will be enjoyed by future generations of the path’s travelers,” noted Frank. He indicated the path was frequently flooded and covered with hazardous roots, which was why the walkway was needed.

“Before, parts of the trail were often impassable, but now people can enjoy the trail even when it’s muddy out – they’ll no longer have to plod through water to get from one part of the trail to another,” Frank said. The project will also help reduce erosion and expenses to maintain the path, Frank said, because the walkways’ timber foundations will help conserve and collect dirt that formerly would have washed away from the path and need to be restored.

Frank and Tim, who are members of Troop 64 in Haddonfield and are both seniors at St. Joseph’s Prep High School in Philadelphia, initially contacted Cherry Hill Township looking for projects they could undertake to earn their badges.

Frank was hooked up with Lew Gorman, chairman of the Cherry Hill Environmental Advisory Committee (CHEAC), who told Frank about how a walkway was needed at the farmstead. CHEAC has a sizable list of environmental projects that community organizations and volunteers can undertake for the betterment of Cherry Hill. Gorman then explained to Frank the things that needed to be done and looked over his plans and outlines. Tim worked with Jim Wioland, the Township’s Director of Recreation.

“CHEAC depends on its community partners to further the environmental objectives for our town, and Frank and Tim display the finest examples of community service,” noted Gorman.

After designing the walkways, each brother then raised more than $1,000 in private donations, and with those funds purchased the lumber and other materials needed to build the walkways. The brothers then got about 25 volunteers, mostly from their scout troop and high school, to actually help them build the walkways December 19-22, 2008. The walkway led by Frank is about 70 feet long, and the one by Tim about 125 feet long.

After finishing his project, Tim said that “Building the walkway was a great experience. I learned a lot during the project’s construction as my friends and family helped me every step of the way.” He recognized that his leadership abilities had been tested as well as his persistence. “I now know what it feels like to carry out a plan to completion,” Tim noted.

Frank, who is thinking about becoming an engineer, just like his father, Hugh, was happy about “how all my friends took the time during their winter break, during the cold, to help me out.” And he was particularly pleased about how he was able to give something to Cherry Hill, the community in which he lives.

“It was great to be able to do something to let the people of Cherry Hill better enjoy the Barclay Farmstead and have a safe place to leisurely walk through and experience nature,” Frank said.