Andrew Parnell, 17, recently finished his Eagle Scout project, which involved planting more than 1000 plants into the raised gardens in the library plaza on Olive Avenue.

"I had been going by the library and noticed that there were these big piles of dirt there, and I remembered that there were plants there when I was a kid," Andrew says. His first idea for an Eagle Scout project had fallen through, so he was scrambling for a project to complete before his 18th birthday on May 30. Eagle Scout projects must serve the community and take at least 100 hours of work to complete.

In February, Andrew called the library, asking how he could help. After getting juggled around to several different people, he ended up with Joe Andrade, who works on the library property as an employee of the parks and recreation department. Andrade and his team had been forced to remove the previous vegetation. "The plants in there were old and diseased and due for replacement," he says. "This definitely saves a lot of time and labor."

The twosome first met to conduct tests on the soil and irrigation system, but it was Andrew's responsibility to coordinate the work of the approximately 20 Scouts who pitched in to help. "He was very responsible in going over the whole project from start to finish," Andrade says. "He did a really good job and learned a little through the process."

With African daisies and trees provided by the city of Sunnyvale, Andrew and his fellow Scouts spent Saturdays planting in a high visibility location, but emerged unscathed. "I think it came out really nicely," Andrew says.

Thanks to the cooperation of Andrade and his department, the library plaza should be set vegetation-wise for the next five to 10 years. And while Andrew has completed his big project, the delay means he still has a bit of work to do before May 30. "I have a few lingering requirements," he admits.