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SWR student builds kiosk at nature preserve for Eagle Scout project

By Nicole Wagner

George Bartunek, from left, Marjorie Acevedo, Anthony Mango, Ken Mango and Open Space Committee chair Janis Leonti at the kiosk installation Jan. 15. (Courtesy Councilman Bob Kern)

A Wading River teen is one step closer to earning Eagle Scout honors after installing an information kiosk at the Sound Avenue Nature Preserve in Baiting Hollow that will serve visitors for years to come.

Anthony Mango, 17, a member of Boy Scout Troop 94 and senior at Shoreham-Wading River High School, helped lead the installation of the kiosk at the preserve entrance on Thursday, Jan. 15, completing the final phase of a project that required more than 50 hours of planning, design and construction over several months.

The 6-foot-wide, 7-foot-tall kiosk features a 5-foot by 10-foot framed board with Plexiglas on both sides and displays trail maps of the preserve, information about native wildlife and plants, and the history of the 15-acre site.

Employees from Riverhead Town’s building and grounds department helped install the kiosk. (Courtesy Councilman Bob Kern)

Anthony chose the kiosk as his Eagle Scout project for its long-term value to the greater Riverhead community.

“It was important to me to complete a project that would be beneficial and utilized by the town for years to come,” he said.

On Jan. 6, the Town Board passed a resolution to contribute $500 from Riverhead’s community benefit funds to purchase materials for the kiosk’s construction.

The project was a partnership with the town’s building and grounds department and Open Space Committee, which identifies and recommends properties for preservation and integration into the town’s park system. Recently, the committee has focused on improving existing open space sites and exploring funding solutions for future land acquisitions. 

Wading River Eagle Scout candidate Anthony Mango, 17, and his dad Ken Mango with members of Riverhead Town’s building and grounds department. (Courtesy Councilman Bob Kern)

The Sound Avenue Nature Preserve has one mile of mulched walking trails and native shrub plantings, and was Riverhead’s first officially designated nature preserve. It opened to the public Oct. 6, 2010, after the town’s 2006 acquisition of the land using Community Preservation Funds. 

“The Open Space Committee is proud to see young community members like Anthony take such initiative,” committee chairwoman Janis Leonti said. “Projects like this kiosk not only enhance our natural spaces but also strengthen the connection between our residents and the environment we’ve worked hard to preserve.”

The Sound Avenue Nature Preserve is located at 5520 Sound Ave. in Baiting Hollow and is open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. Parking is available on site.

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