Hoover teen builds life-size eagle’s nest at Oak Mountain

To earn his Eagle Scout rank, one Hoover teenager recently tackled a more unusual project.

Dylan Morgan, a freshman at Spain Park High School and member of Boy Scout Troop 367 at Riverchase United Methodist Church, built a life-size interactive eagle’s nest on the Treetop Nature Trail at Oak Mountain State Park.

The nest measures 6 feet across and 2 ^1/2 feet deep. It sits on a platform on a part of the nature trail between the Alabama Wildlife Center and the elevated boardwalk that features six enclosures with birds of prey.

Doug Adair, executive director for the Alabama Wildlife Center, said many people who visit the Treetop Nature Trail experience the elevated boardwalk and the raptors, but don’t follow the trail all the way to the wildlife center up the hill.

“It’s only three-tenths of a mile from the elevated boardwalk to the center, but many people don’t make the trek,” Adair said.

The wildlife center staff want to create more attractions along that portion of the trail to make it more interesting for visitors, and the life-size eagle’s nest fits the bill, he said.

Another Scout built the platform for the eagle’s nest and actually built an initial nest, but that nest — made out of sticks and chicken wire — wasn’t as kid-friendly and kid-resistant as was needed, Morgan said.

The wildlife center staff asked Morgan to build something that was safer, without all the sharp sticks poking out.

Earlier this year, from Jan. 10 to Feb. 23, Morgan spent more than 80 hours building the nest. He used 4-by-4 pieces of lumber and plywood to build the frame and then wrapped roughly 700 feet of backer rods — strands of industrial foam — around it to give it softer edges.

He and his father, Quentin Morgan — who is the assistant scoutmaster for Troop 367 — did most of the work, but he also recruited seven other boys to help with the project.

The cost of the materials was about $400, Dylan Morgan said. That was about double what they initially thought it would cost, because they had to buy more screws to hold the backer rods in place than they anticipated and didn’t initially realize they would need plywood. There are about 1,500 screws holding the nest together, he said.

Not long after the nest was completed, it was damaged by some kids who got carried away while having some fun, Morgan said. He came back in June and made repairs.

Adair said the wildlife center staff appreciates the quality work that both Morgan and the previous Scout did to create a nice visitor attraction.

“We’ve had dozens of Eagle Scout projects completed at the center and are always pleased to see the Scouts volunteer help,” he said.

This particular project is fitting because it complements the injured bald eagle recently added as part of the education program there.

Morgan, who has been in the Scouting program since he was 5, was awarded his Eagle Scout badge during a ceremony in August.

It’s the highest rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America. Morgan was 13 when he completed his service project. Only about 4% of Scouts achieve the Eagle Scout rank, and the average age in recent years has been 17, according to Bryan Wendell, who writes a blog for BSA adult leaders.

Morgan said he learned a lot with his project.

“I hope that kids who come here see how big an eagle actually is and that it gives some perspective on why people are so inspired by eagles and how big a creature they are to be able to build something that large,” he said.