Placing Plot Plaques Finally ID's Rock Meadow Gardens

When you visit Rock Meadow Conservation Land off Mill Street, you'll notice new wooden plaques identifying each of the nearly 140 garden plots at the Rock Meadow Community "Victory" Gardens. 

The name plates were recently places at the garden thanks to Owen Searls, a member of Troop 304 of the Boston Minuteman Boy Scout Council as part of successfully organized and completed Eagle Scout project benefiting the Belmont Conservation Commission. 

Owen – who was assisted in this project by his team made up of Brendan Walsh, Reed Logan, Andrew Logan, Mohamed Abdel-Salem, John Gehrig, Sam Martin, Sam Rogers and Norman Staub – developed his project to facilitate the management of the gardens by providing the town identification of each plot, keyed to the garden's master plan.  

“Owen’s project had saved countless hours of administrative time during the garden assignment process this spring. Garden assignments had been difficult with 137 unlabeled plots, and the project streamlined the entire process. The wooden plaques are attractive, durable, and most importantly, accurately installed,” said Mary Trudeau, agent for the Belmont Conservation Commission which manages the gardens.

Owen's contribution is just one of several Eagle Scout projects over the past few years that has benefited the Commission. Gregory Labombard’s Eagle Scout Project included using many volunteers to help in the removal of decrepit, backstop structures from the woodlands within Rock Meadow, a physically demanding task requiring several work days. Sam Martin’s project involved building the new Kiosk at the Gardens, creating a method for communication between gardeners, administrators and other garden shareholders. Last summer, the kiosk was used to display garden notices translated into several languages, including mandarin Chinese.