By Cela Dorr, Contributing Writer
WESTBOROUGH – Springtime can find forests, depending on winter’s effects, comingled with rains and melting snow. There’re also two of the nemeses of the trail hiker — standing water and mud. Having had to deal with frequent, unpleasant slogs through these puddles, Westborough Boy Scout Michael O’Keefe was recently inspired to build bridges over these habitually wet spots.
The project, located along Westborough’s Libbey Trail, was part of O’Keefe’s journey to attain the rank of Eagle Scout.
Prior to this effort, O’Keefe spent a good deal of his childhood and adolescence traversing the Libbey Trail in Westborough. Following in the footsteps of his father, he said he grew to appreciate the stewardship that land trust volunteers take on to maintain these pathways for all to enjoy.
Joining the Boy Scouts also provided ample opportunity to gain experience and knowledge about the wilderness and how to enjoy it.
Corralling about 15 volunteers, the team hiked in the lumber, tools and rebar they needed to build three bridges that are between 14 and 16 feet in length. The bridges are about two feet wide.
O’Keefe will be matriculating at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the fall to major in engineering.
