Jahquan Malcolm, age 14 of Troop 79 in Charleston, has recently completed construction of a new home for a disabled American Bald Eagle at the Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site Wildlife Exhibit.
The eagle, named "Fowler" in honor of Jim Fowler from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, who was present on Animal Enrichment Day to cut the grand opening ribbon, now has a new lease on life. The eagle was found with fractured metacarpals, and because of these injuries, it was deemed unable to fly. It underwent rehabilitation for two years at Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky in Louisville. Jim Fowler, who is a bird of prey expert, confirmed not only that the new enclosure perfectly suited this majestic animal but also provides a sweeping view of the marsh and Ashley River so that Fowler can keep an "eagle eye" on things.
Rangers at the South Carolina State Park noted that there are wild Bald Eagles in the area that have already noticed their new neighbor and are starting to communicate with Fowler, who is very vocal.
"It's fitting that eagles rescue eagles," said Ben Pearce, Jahquan's Eagle Scout Coach. "Never has there been a more appropriate Eagle Scout Service Project."
Volunteers on the project included Alex and Jillian Davis, Kevin and Amy Fast (Southern Lumber and Mill), Karen Doll, Ben Pearce, Cheryl Malcolm, Scoutmaster Jim Skinner and the scouts of Troop 79, who assisted with the construction of the eagle's new home.
“The completion of this project is a tremendous benefit to the park, to the community, and to the rescued bald eagle it permits us to provide a permanent home for. It provides an opportunity for our visitors to see this great American symbol up close and personal, and Jahquan should be very proud of his accomplishment,” said Rob Powell, manager of Charles Towne Landing.
Eagle Scout candidates are required to develop, organize, supervise and construct a project that will benefit an organization or the community at large and demonstrate leadership skills as a requirement of the highest achievement in scouting. This extensive project took several months to complete encompassing over 200 total man-hours.
Scouting programs are designed to promote the development of character, leadership ability, good citizenship, encouraging good sportsmanship, improving understanding within the family, strengthening the ability to get along with other boys and respect other people, as well as fostering a sense of personal achievement and self-confidence.