A trail now connects the Long Horizon Preserve, a Bethlehem Land Trust property, and the Swendsen Farm Preserve, an open space property of the town of Bethlehem.

As part of the trail, Tom and his friends, including some fellow scouts, built a bridge to provide passage through the fragile wetlands.

Tom approached the Bethlehem Conservation Commission with the idea of doing work on the Swendsen Farm as his Eagle Scout project.

"This trail connector is one we wanted to do for a while, so when Tom stepped forward, we jumped at the idea," said Nancy McMillan, chair of the commission.

"This was a joint effort between the Bethlehem Land Trust, the Conservation Commission and Tom, with assistance from his father, Dan.

"This falls under the umbrella of the trails grant we received in 2006, so we were able to purchase durable white oak for the bridge, which will last a long time."

Work began last winter when Tom submitted his application to the Troop Committee of Boy Scout Troop 59. Tom cooperated with the Land Trust and the Conservation Commission in laying out and clearing the trail and was involved in choosing the site for the bridge.

Using a design drawn up by Clark Gifford, land manager at Steep Rock Preserve in Washington, Tom guided the project to completion with the construction and installation of the bridge. Trail clearing was done with help from Brooks Landscaping.

The project was underway when Tom heard the disappointing news that his application for Eagle Scout candidacy had been denied. He immediately decided to complete the project and called on friends to spend Sunday mornings in his back yard hammering sections of the bridge together.

Oversight of the construction of the bridge was volunteered by local carpenter Jeff Tonning, who donated many Sunday mornings to guide the engineering and construction of the bridge.

"We couldn't have done it without his know-how and willingness to hang in there through the whole process" said Tom. "We hit some snags along the way, which delayed completion of the bridge, but Mr. Tonning stayed with us to the end."

The Bethlehem Public Works crew then delivered the sections to the site and Tom and his crew put the bridge together. The bridge was completed this spring.

Access to the trail is permitted for hiking and cross country skiing; the fragile wetlands prohibit horseback riders and bicycles, although they are permitted on other parts of the Swendsen Preserve Trail System. It is great spot to observe bird activity.

Dan Polansky, Tom's father, played a key role in guiding Tom through the entire process and encouraged him during the inevitable delays and setbacks of the construction. Dan has taken on a stewardship role in the maintenance of the trail.

Labor and construction of the bridge was aided by Andre Carlquist of Bethlehem, Mike Fazzino of Woodbury and Kevin Vermilyea of Bethlehem.

"We are very pleased and impressed with Tom's project and want to grant him and his crew the recognition they deserve," said Jack Nelson of the Bethlehem Land Trust, who was involved in the project.

"He has shown good character in completing his volunteer work, and has made a great contribution to our conservation effort."

"I agree," said Nancy McMillan. "We are so grateful to Tom for completing this project. In our minds, he is an Eagle Scout."

Tom is now attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. He previously worked at the Woodward House in Bethlehem.