A local Eagle Scout chose to install a combined water fountain and dog bowl just north of the Cornwall trailhead of the Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail (LVRT).
Jacob Green, who spearheaded the fountain’s installation as his Eagle Scout service project for local Troop 412, told LebTown in a phone interview that the project was inspired by a trip to Cape May where he saw similar fountains. “I saw so many people using their water bottles and the doggie bowl, and it seemed really healthy for the environment.”
“I reached out to LVRT to look for a project,” said Green, who’s a frequent trail user. “This was something they already had in mind, but it was just an idea.” Green and LVRT worked with Cornwall excavator Glenn Kresge to install the fountain, which is set close to a local water line.
The fountain in Cornwall includes a regular water spout, a shelf to fill a water bottle, and a low-to-the-ground dish where water can be pumped for dogs and other trail companions. It was manufactured by Most Dependable Fountains, Inc.
The project and its planning and fundraising took a year to complete and was possible through the help of a number of donations. “Ironically, putting a fountain in only took a week,” Green said. “I met a lot who were very willing to help and were very friendly, so it was a great process.”
On Facebook, LVRT President John Wengert thanked Green for spearheading the project, while visitors praised the installation as a welcome feature of the trail.
Troop 412 is part of the Pennsylvania Dutch Council Boy Scouts of America and is sponsored and hosted by the Salem Lutheran Church in Lebanon.
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