Have you noticed the new birdhouses as you jog around the Lake at Buddy Attick Park? Or when you were having a reflective moment on the peninsula? And what are those other houses near the birdhouses? Those are bee houses, designed to serve as homes for solitary bees. There are six houses in all stationed around the park, two not far from the picnic area, another two on the opposite side of the lake and the final two on the peninsula. The City of Greenbelt will place additional bee and birdhouses around town at a later date. If you look closely, you will notice that the holes in the bee houses come in several different sizes, as do the bamboo tubes on the top shelf of each house. That is because there are more than 200 solitary bee species of various sizes. The vast majority of solitary bees don’t sting, but all of them are prolific pollinators, essential to our shared ecosystem. And they are under threat. So look at the houses, enjoy them, but please don’t touch.
Where did they come from and who put them up? The bee and bird houses were made by lifetime Greenbelt resident Raina Dirksen and friends. They are her Eagle Scout Troop 1444 project, a final prerequisite to earning the highest rank in scouting. Neil Armstrong once said, after all the accomplishments of his life, earning Eagle was the most important to him. Becoming an Eagle Scout is a very big deal.
Raina’s path to Eagle is rather unique in history, shared with only a handful of ambitious girls of the same age across the country. The path to Eagle, for those scouts who attempt it, begins at the age of 11 years old and can run until a scout reaches 18. They have from that early age, when they enter scouting, to earn their way through the many ranks, 21 merit badges and a final project required to qualify for Eagle Scout. Raina joined the Scouts when she was 16 years old, because that is how old she was when the Boy Scouts of America finally allowed girls to join.
So Raina had to fulfill all the requirements in two short years. The isolation year of Covid-19 created an added challenge to achieving her goal. Those boy scouts who came before her, and the younger girls and boys coming after her, will have seven years to make Eagle. That makes Raina’s accomplishment all the more impressive.
Inspired by her older brother Jaden and her father Matt, both Eagle Scouts, Raina had always wanted to experience the adventure of scouting. When she finally got her chance at age 16, she jumped in with both feet.
The project to construct and mount the bee and birdhouses was a team effort that took place on May 22 and May 23 of this year. Other scouts, family, friends and neighbors of all ages helped, the youngest being her 7-year-old neighbor, Avery Tweed. Generous Joe’s donated delicious pizzas to sustain the team. TW Perry provided free lumber at a time when costs are high due to Covid-19.
But every project needs a leader to bring it from vision to reality – that was Raina’s role. The houses are her legacy to our fair city. The final task to complete the project that all can help with is to raise money for plaques that will explain the purpose and value of the houses. Those interested can email thedirksens@mac.com.