North Country Park in Bemidji is in the middle of a series of upgrades. One Bemidji Boy Scout decided to create a project to help make the park more accessible for all.

North Country Park recently added new garden areas as a way to increase pollinators in the park. The rock-filled areas filter out water naturally, but they needed to be more accessible. That’s where high school Boy Scout Aaron Heger came in to complete his Eagle Scout Project.

Since it was an Eagle Scout project, it meant a lot of the decision-making and work was on Aaron’s shoulders.

The first step was deciding on a project. So when the Parks and Recreation department needed community support for the park, Aaron was quick to jump in. He chose to make bridges for multiple reasons.

In the end, Aaron raised over $2,800 for the project and brought together over 15 people to help him realize his goal.

The bridges are planned to be installed sometime this summer. Aaron hopes to make it a Scout outing to help some younger Scouts give back to the community.

By — Betsy Melin