Isabella Grace, 13, recently became the youngest female Eagle Scout in the region and one of the youngest in the United States after completing her final project at the Akron Zoo. Grace is a member of Boy Scout Troop 111 North Canton (111-G).
To apply for Eagle Scout rank, Grace accumulated 56 merit badges and was required to complete a community project. As an animal lover, Grace wanted her project to help an Akron Zoo animal and approached the zoo in early 2023.
At the time, the zoo was planning to welcome a new species, Patagonian mara, and was needing to do some remodeling of the former capybara habitat. After discussions with zoo staff, Grace proposed a project to turn the pool in the habitat into a French drain, which would allow the pool to be filled with dirt, clay, mulch and other substrate for the mara to dig. The French drain would allow water to pass through the layers and filter to the drain without debris.
On Sunday, April 23, Grace led her troop to complete the project at the Akron Zoo. In July 2023, Grace officially received her Eagle Scout from Boy Scouts of America.
“It was great working with Isabella,” said Amber Acord, senior facilities & grounds manager at the Akron Zoo. “She worked hard on every phase of the project and she really showed leadership on the work day with her troop. The Patagonian mara moved in the habitat in June and have really loved digging.”