Eagle Scout

BSA Troop 199 Life Scout Christian Navarrette, 17, a Buchannan High School senior, completed his Eagle Scout project on June 7, 2020 thanks to the grant provided by the Clovis Community Foundation (CCF).

On January 2, 2020, before this project started, Christian first met with two CCF Board members to discuss his project idea. He proposed to redo the landscaping along the west side of Peach Avenue (near Alluvial Avenue) for the Fresno/Clovis Rail trail crossing. The CCF Board members tentatively approved the project idea, pending City approval. Christian then secured the approval from the City of Clovis' Parks Director, Eric Aller.

The existing landscaping had become a maintenance issue, as well as a safety concern, as it was difficult for drivers to see pedestrians and cyclists at the crossing. Christian developed a landscape plan which included ground cover lantana, lavender plants, and 3/8-inch California gold rock. The City of Clovis approved the landscape plan on February 11. Christian then developed a cost estimate of $1,090 and submitted a grant proposal to the CCF. The grant was approved by the CCF Board on March 12. Christian had planned to complete his project during spring break (April 5-9), but the COVID-19 pandemic placed his project on hold. Christian was given approval by the City of Clovis to begin his project at the end of May with the necessary precautions in place; including social distancing and face coverings.

He began the first phase of his project on May 31 by removing all existing landscapes. He then met with the City of Clovis to check the existing landscape irrigation. Fortunately, the City was able to fix all the missing and broken sprinkler heads. On June 7, Christian completed his project, which included digging and removing 3 inches of dirt, planting, placing hardscape, and fixing the broken fence. He had approximately 20 people help with his project.

Christian is a cross country runner and all throughout the summer he and his teammates ran on the trail, including through the crossing with the new landscaping. During the project, many bikers and walkers thanked Christian for making the crossing beautiful and safer. Christian was presented to the Sequoia Council Eagle Scout Board of Review at the end of October where we were awarded the rank of Eagle Scout for this project.

Christian would like to thank the CCF and the City of Clovis for their support. A special thanks to the CCF for awarding him a grant to help him complete his Eagle Scout project, for the benefit of the community in the City of Clovis.