Eagle Scout project brings new trees to Three Lakes park

Three Lakes residents may have noticed some new life at Don Burnside Park recently in the form of freshly planted maple trees.

On a recent Sunday afternoon during peak fall color, Garrett Mandli, a 17-year-old senior at Three Lakes High School, was busy digging holes alongside family and friends as part of his Eagle Scout project. A year in the making, the ambitious project involved replacing ash trees lost to an emerald ash borer infestation with eight Autumn Blaze maple trees. 

The undertaking was a personal one for Mandli, whose connection to the park dates back to childhood.

“I've been involved with the park for many, many years now,” said Mandli during a break from planting. “I started playing baseball back in the day and ended up working as a volunteer for baseball tournaments. It's a really central part of the town and a place that I've enjoyed being a part of for a long time. I was like, ‘Oh, I can finally give back here with this project.’”

Mandli also spent the last two summers working for the Three Lakes Parks Department, where he witnessed firsthand the effects of losing so many of the park's mature ash trees.

“The trees that were here a couple years ago were these big, beautiful ash trees,” said Mandli. “The park has looked really barren since then, so I'm putting in maple trees to add some new shade and color to the park.”

Taking the lead

After receiving approval from Troop 601 and his Scouting council, Mandli set out to raise the money needed to bring his vision to life.

“I went around to local businesses for fundraising and raised about $3,500 to purchase trees, mulch, fertilizer and fencing,” said Mandli.

His mother, Patricia, said Mandli handled much of the project's planning and fundraising independently.

“He made up flyers on his computer, printed them, put on his Class A [Scout uniform] and went around to all the businesses downtown, handed out flyers, all on his own,” she said.

Mandli made two rounds of fundraising visits to local businesses, communicating with potential supporters in person, by phone and through email. 

“People didn't just hand him money,” Patricia said. “They wanted to know about the project. ‘Why are you doing it?’ ‘Why is this important to the community?’ ‘Why is it a worthy cause for me to donate?’”

Beyond fundraising, Mandli was responsible for researching materials, calculating costs and planning the details of the project, including how to position protective fencing around the trees to allow for easier maintenance.

All of that work culminated Oct. 11, when Mandli assembled a team of volunteers, including his parents, four younger siblings and four friends, to plant the trees.

The planting took a full afternoon due to the dry, rocky ground, but all eight trees were successfully planted.

“Garrett still has some funds left over, so he will discuss with the Parks Commission how to utilize those, whether it be for additional shrubbery and landscaping, or whether it will be set aside for future maintenance on the trees,” said his father, Craig.

Scout’s honor

Mandli comes from a long line of Scouts: His grandfather, father and uncle all earned Eagle Scout rank, and his younger brothers are following in his footsteps.

Craig said watching his son work toward Eagle Scout rank has been especially meaningful. 

“Scouting was a huge part of my life growing up, and something that my parents were very involved in,” he said. “I’m very proud that all three of my boys have continued that tradition, and have learned to embrace the virtues of the organization.”

The project represents a major milestone in a Scouting journey for Mandli that began in elementary school with Pack 601 in Eagle River and continued with Troop 601.

“I've learned so much about leadership, communication and interacting with other people,” said Mandli. “I've learned how to talk to adults and hold conversations with everybody and how to put myself out there for work and be a volunteer and a leader in the community.”

Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in Scouting America and requires earning merit badges, demonstrating leadership and successfully leading a community service project. 

“It takes a lot of work and it's completely led by the Scouts,” said Mandli.

With the tree planting complete, Mandli said he still needs to earn two merit badges and complete a board of review before officially achieving Eagle Scout rank.

Patricia said Mandli undertook the project while balancing several other leadership roles and extracurricular activities, including serving as troop bugler, class vice president, a leader on the football team and a student council member.

“His ability to just jump in and do it was really awesome,” she said. “It shows the maturity that he's grown into in the last year.”

A special connection

Don Burnside Park holds another special connection for Mandli. An existing maple tree was donated by the Volk family and dedicated to longtime community member Pat Volk, who played an important role in connecting Mandli and his family to the park.

Volk, who died earlier this year, served on the Three Lakes Parks Commission and was Mandli's childhood bus driver.

“Pat is really the thread that connected all of this for him,” Patricia said. “We moved here when Garrett was in kindergarten, and the bus door opened, and there's Pat sitting in the driver's seat. Craig was at the end of the driveway, and Pat goes, ‘Oh, a young family with a little boy that might play baseball. I wonder if he wants to be on the park committee.’”

Volk subsequently recruited Craig to serve on the Parks Commission, and Mandli went on to play baseball at Don Burnside Park.

Volk also spearheaded the Three Lakes Veterans Memorial, passing away just weeks before its unveiling. Mandli played taps at the dedication ceremony.

“I thought it was really sweet when he figured out, ‘Oh, Pat really had a large impact on the direction of my life,’” said Patricia. “But he didn't know it until he had already passed. So he never had a chance to say thank you.”

Now, the trees planted as part of his Eagle Scout project can serve as a thank-you, not just to Volk, but to the community where Mandli grew up.

“I've been a part of the community here for so long and been so involved with the park,” he said. “It feels really good to finally give back in a meaningful way like this that's going to last for a lot of years.”