Daniel Acosta enjoyed giving back to his old elementary school.
The East Union High sophomore revitalized the 3,900-square-foot front yard at New Haven School for his Eagles Scout Project.
“His first thought was to give back to the school in which he attended,” said his mother Veronica Acosta.
Daniel Acosta worked closely with a familiar face – David O’Leary, the longtime principal at the school – on continuing the theme of moss rocks and plants surrounding the redwood fencing.
Planning, as it turned out, took about 18 months due to a few unforeseen delays.
Acosta had other goals in mind other than his affiliation with the Boys Scouts Troop 414 of Ripon – he was a Webelos I rank and, with the Cub Scouts, earned Arrow of Light – was making New Haven not just aesthetically appealing to the eye and save the school the cost of water usage by planting drought-resistant plants.
“As a troop manager, he handled himself really well and had fun while enjoying the process, all with the help of his troops,” Veronica Acosta said of her son.
She noted that the project would not have been possible without the donations and contributions by the likes of the Manteca Unified School District, New Haven Community Club, Rainforest Nursery, Stockton Wood Shavings, Ed’s Rockery, Orchard Supply Hardware, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and the Troop 414 scouts, leaders and family members.
Special acknowledgement went to Truebeck Construction and Recology Grover, both major contributors to the project.
All told, 53 volunteers took part in the effort.
Boys Scouts who are looking to obtain the rank of Eagle Scout must meet certain requirements and submit bids for their project before turning 18.
Daniel Acosta, at 16 has earned 44 merit badges and is one step closer to earning his Eagles Scout Rank.
The latter is expected to take place in the next few months.
Acosta plans to continue with the Boys Scouts and eventually earn Eagle Palms.