Joe Agar's Eagle project - Canine sensory garden

My name is Joe Agar. I'm 17 years old and have been in Scouting since first grade, and I'm now nearing the summit of Scouting's trail -- the Eagle Scout rank.

Eagle Scout candidates must design and oversee a project that benefits their community and/or a not-for-profit organization.

Given my lifelong love of dogs -- including my dog, George, with whom I'm pictured here, and my departed "young childhood" dog, Maisy -- I decided to carry out a project benefitting a humane organization that does a lot of great work in northern and central New Jersey: the Madison, N.J. campus of St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center.

St. Hubert's Madison is a refuge for dogs and cats from approximately two dozen area cities and towns, along with voluntarily-surrendered, puppy-mill and backyard-breeder, disaster-area, and kill-shelter rescues.  The organization endeavors to find a "forever home" for each of its adoptable "guests" and to provide a pleasant, nurturing, and calming experience during their stays at the shelter -- however long they may be.

Consistent with this goal, St. Hubert's has asked me to develop a "sensory garden" for its canine guests, a place of discovery where they can experience -- often for the first time -- certain textures, smells, and tastes to which they've never been exposed or which they do not regularly access.  Studies show that allowing dogs to experience such stimuli is beneficial for their mental health, development, and demeanor.

This area will consist of four play boxes (sandboxes filled with different materials, such as polished gravel and cedar shavings), eight low-height planters (with such succulent plants as chamomile, lemon balm, and wheat grass), a bench for volunteers, and a stepping-stone path to tie it all together.

This gofundme campaign is part of a larger fundraising effort, which includes requests for material and supply grants from various manufacturers and retailers of garden products and hardware, lawn, and pet supplies, and good old-fashioned "pounding the pavement" with various businesses in my town that have histories of community philanthropy.

Funds raised will go directly to this project, which will be built solely by volunteers from my New Jersey Scout troop, Venturing (senior Scouting) crew, and Sea Scout ship.  I've set a campaign goal consistent with what I anticipate the overall cost to be, but if there are any excess funds, they will be donated to St. Hubert's with the express designation that they go to future maintenance of the sensory garden (primarily material and plant replacement).

Please consider being as generous as you can, and thank you in advance for your help!

Yours in Scouting (and the love of animals),

Joe Agar
Westfield, N.J.
Crew 276 Byram Township, N.J.
Troop 73 Westfield, N.J.
Troop 126 Franklin, Mass.
Ship 243 Rahway, N.J.

P.S.: I have reduced the fundraising goal to reflect promised off-line material and monetary donations about which I received recent notifications.