KAUKAUNA (NBC26) — People from all over the Fox Valley come to 1000 Islands Environmental Center to catch fish in the summer and spot eagles in the winter, but the fishing pier is in need of some serious repair. That’s where Brody Riehl comes in.
“I’ve been liking this place for a long time," he said. "This is one of my favorite places to go.“
Riehl, 14, is going to rebuild the fishing pier, replacing broken boards, railings and benches for his Eagle Scout project.
“It makes me feel good because I’ve been doing this kind of stuff before," he said. "I made bird houses that they sold, and I like to do this kind of stuff.“
The Center has a limited staff and relies on Boy Scouts like Riehl to volunteer.
“The fishing pier is really something that is in need of some work," said Debbie Nowak, director naturalist. "It was a project that he felt he could take on and it would have a huge benefit, not just for us as an organization, but for all of our visitors that stop down.“
Riehl needs to raise $5,000 to buy lumber. Although he’s still a ways away from his goal, so far, the support has been incredible, he said.
“Seeing how nice people can be with the donations and how generous people can be," said Riehl.
His scoutmasters could not be more proud of the eighth grader.
“It’s exciting that you see the scouts reached the pinnacle of scouting and achieve that," said Brian Rose. "And you’ve been a piece of their journey and you get to see that. That’s the reward as a scoutmaster.“
Brody needs the community’s help raising the $5,000 needed to buy supplies to fix the fishing pier. If you would like to donate, you can contribute to his Facebook fundraiser here. You can also mail a check made out to Troop 77, with a memo of "Brody Riehl Eagle Project" and mail it to the following address:
Brody Riehl
3298 Fieldcrest Drive
Kaukauna, WI 54130
