Staff photo / J.T. Whitehouse Scouts BSA Troop 8044 member Monica Moore is wrapping up her Eagle Scout project this week at Poland Township Park. Her project is a preschool playground.

POLAND TOWNSHIP — Visitors to Poland Township Park may notice yet another new addition near the main pavilion as a new preschool playground is nearing completion, thanks to the efforts of a local scout.

Monica Moore, daughter of Tim and Andrea Moore and a junior at Poland Seminary High School, spent time at the end of October and earlier this month setting up the new preschool play area behind the pavilion as her Eagle Scout project.

“The main playground at the park is more geared to ages 6 and up,” said Park Manager Ken Filicky. “This new playground will be geared to the younger set.”

Moore is not new to Eagle Scout projects. She was around and helped her brother, Gordon Moore, install a chimney swift tower at the park in spring of 2024. Her brother is a 2024 Poland graduate who came down to the wire for his Eagle Scout project. Moore said she decided not to wait and went after her Eagle Scout project with time to spare.

“My design was for a 24-foot x 24-foot square sandbox,” Moore said. “It would contain play sets geared to the younger children.”

She found several nice pieces at Step Two products in Streetsboro, including a climbing slide piece, a charming cottage playhouse and a mini rollercoaster. The final piece was a ride-on sand digger toy.

Moore engaged the help of members of her troop, 8044, which is Poland’s first Scouts BSA girls troop.

She has been involved with scouting since she was in the fifth grade. She would attend Troop 44 meetings with her brother prior to the forming of Troop 8044.

Moore served two years in the cub program and is the last remaining founding member of Troop 8044, which was formed in 2020. The troop formation was done two years after the BSA decided to allow girls into troops. All girl troops were designated at 80 and their troop number while all boy troops were designated 90 plus the troop number.

Being a real leader for her troop, Moore had no problem getting the needed help to prepare and lay out the new playground. Township park representatives contributed as well, providing 15 tons of fresh clean play sand.

The sand was spread out and the playhouse, coaster set, climbing slide and the sand toys were set in place.

The project calls for fencing on three sides and the placement of benches that parents can use to be near their preschool child. Filicky said those should be added this month as the playground is finished off.

“There is also signage being ordered for the new section,” Filicky said. “This project makes over 25 Eagle projects that have taken place in the park.”

Moore said she enjoyed doing the project and leaving her mark on a park that is full of activities and nature for all to enjoy.

“I am not sure when my Eagle Court of Honor will be as I still have to get a sign-off on this project, and I have a couple merit badges to obtain yet,” Moore said.