04 June . 2024
Teen resident blazes his mark on Sweetwater trails for Eagle Scout project
When young Sweetwater resident Sarva Iyer started thinking of a community service project to help him earn his Eagle Scout rank, he quickly decided to focus on the community’s popular trails.
A rising sophomore at Lake Travis High School, Sarva is currently a Life Scout, the second-highest rank in the Boy Scouts. One of the requirements to become an Eagle Scout, the highest rank, is to propose and complete an approved community service project.
Helping to make Sweetwater’s Hill Country trails even better was a natural choice for Sarva, according to his mom, Abhi.
“We have lived at Sweetwater for 10 years, and we’ve always loved walking the trails as a family,” she says. “We’ve lived here so long, we’ve also explored some of the beautiful natural areas before the trails were created.”
Sarva focused his project on Maidenhair Trail, one of seven trails in Sweetwater’s network of approximately 10 miles of trails. Together, they connect amenities and neighborhoods as they wind through the 750 acres Sweetwater devotes to recreation and natural open spaces.
About one mile in length, Maidenhair Trail is rated moderate in difficulty, making it accessible for most residents. Home to some of Sweetwater’s most beautiful natural treasures, including a natural seasonal waterfall and a hidden grotto lush with maidenhair ferns, it’s one of the community’s most popular trails.
One of the trailheads, along Pedernales Summit Parkway, is near an ancient Texas Madrone tree, estimated to be more than 800 years old. Along the trail, hikers can climb to one of the highest elevations in Sweetwater, with Hill Country views extending for miles.
At the suggestion of Sweetwater’s HOA manager, Sarva worked closely with HOA team to develop a project that would make Maidenhair Trail a Search and Rescue Friendly trail. Working toward that end, Sarva proposed creating a system of trail blazes, or markers, along with directional arrows to help hikers find their way out of the trail.
He created a detailed signage design that complemented Sweetwater’s overall community design guidelines in materials and colors.
He also worked with resident Rosemary Borthwick, the leader of Sweetwater’s hiking club, to walk Maidenhair Trail and determine the best locations for the blazes.
With the HOA procuring the signs, T Stakes and other materials needed, Sarva completed the project in May, installing 27 signs and trail blazes along Maidenhair.
“I chose to do this project because giving back to my community is very important to me,” says Sarva. “By making our beautiful trails Search and Rescue Friendly compatible, we can improve safety and provide quick assistance to trail walkers when in need. I am so glad that I was able to improve one of our trails. I want to thank the HOA for allowing me to serve our community.”
“Our thanks to Sarva for his great ideas, planning and organizing his crew so well to complete his project,” said Rosemary. “He put a lot of hard work into the planning and execution of this project. With help from his fellow scouts, they installed the signs in one day, and Sarva went back the next week to tweak a few things to finalize his excellent project.”