Hillsborough Scout Builds Worm, Compost Garden At Ann Van Middlesworth Park

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Kyle Wargo is getting his hands dirty with his Eagle Scout service project.

The Hillsborough Scout completed a worm and compost garden at Ann Van Middlesworth Park, creating a space meant to provide fishing bait and support community composting near a popular local fishing spot.

Wargo told Patch he started in Cub Scouts in elementary school, earned his Arrow of Light, and moved into Boy Scouts in fifth grade.

"Scouting is a very important part of my life," said Wargo. "I remember seeing the Senior Patrol Leader and the Patrol Leader Council when I first became a Boy Scout, and looking up to them, and hoping someday that I could be just like them. Here I am, 5 years later, and I have been very blessed to move through the leadership positions."

Wargo has served in several troop leadership roles, completed National Youth Leadership Training and taken part in backpacking and hiking trips in 11 states, Alaska and, this summer, Scotland.

He said he chose the worm garden because he is an avid fisherman and hunter and wanted his project to reflect those interests.

"Fishing and hunting are actually more than hobbies to me; they are life-sustaining activities that put food on my family’s table. While hunting takes more practice and is more costly, fishing can be taught to anyone, and a fishing pole can easily be made if there isn’t money to purchase one using a stick, fishing line and a hook," said Wargo.

However, he noted that bait can be difficult to obtain in Hillsborough.

"That is where the idea for my project came to life. I wanted to plan an Eagle Scout Service Project that would somehow include one of my passions, while involving the community," said Wargo.

He frequently fishes at AnnVan Middlesworth Park with his friends and always sees people fishing there.

"I decided that creating a worm garden could supply bait for our community. I thought of how the garden would be created, and sustained, which is when I thought of making it into a composting garden as well, which would also extend the benefit of including members of the community," said Wargo.

The project was presented to the Hillsborough Parks and Recreation Department, the Troop 1776 Committee and the Patriots Path Council Committee.

The planning and preparation took about a year.

Wargo said he developed presentations on the garden’s size and placement, created a budget and fundraising plan, and then built his worm supply over six months after purchasing 500 worms from a Pennsylvania farm and growing them in his garage starting in September.

He said fundraising included new Class B Scout apparel created with local graphic design artist Steph Stokes.

Local businesses donated to support the effort, including Central Jersey Nurseries and Belle Mead Co-Op.

For construction, volunteers from his troop and adult leaders helped for over two days.

Wargo said he has since returned to the park and seen people digging for worms and burying food scraps, signs that the garden is being used as intended.

He also shared two moments that stood out to him: speaking with a Cub Scout at Home Depot while buying lumber, and giving worms to children at the park who then used them to catch fish.

While finishing up the project, a few young kids were at the park getting ready to go fishing with their mom and grandpa.

"They came up to us and asked us what we were doing. I told them about the project and offered them a few worms. They ran with the worms in their hands and started fishing. Then when they each caught a fish, they ran up to show us and they were so excited that the worms were working," said Wargo. "That moment was special for me because I love to fish with my grandpa, and seeing those kids doing the same thing that I love to do and using the worms from my project made me so happy."

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