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Kim
case begins in Newberg
Goal exception process begins for N-D bypass
Have a blast this Fourth of July -- but do it
safely
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Helping the big cats |
A Newberg youth's project to build new facilities at
WildCat Haven could end in an Eagle Scout designation |
By Andrea
Olson, Newberg Graphic intern
E-mail Andrea at aolson@eaglenewspapers.com
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The residents of WildCat Haven are purring for Charlie Osborne.
His efforts have provided more than 3,000 square feet of enclosed
living space for the nonprofit rescue facility for captive-born wild
cats on Parrett Mountain.
Osborne, 14, has been involved in scouts since he was 8 years old,
first as a Cub Scout and then as a Boy Scout when he turned 12.
After earning 21 merit badges, Osborne was ready to work toward
becoming an Eagle Scout, something less than 4 percent of those who
join Boy Scouts achieve.
Bill Woods, fellow church member of Osborne’s and friend of
WildCat Haven owners Mike and Cheryl Tuller,
suggested the refuge as a site for Osborne’s Eagle Scout project.
Osborne contacted the Tullers and went to visit the facility.
“I like the cougars,” he said.
The rescue facility started in 1995 and has grown progressively
since.
“We get calls every week,” Cheryl Tuller said of the many pleas for
help. She knows the name and history of each cat there, although has
since lost count of the number of residents. She estimates it’s
around 35.
The increasing number of residents has put a strain on housing, and
some enclosures have had to be subdivided into smaller areas to
accommodate the influx.
Osborne opted to organize the construction of new living enclosures
and began raising money for materials in March. He orchestrated a
can drive at his church and asked for donations; Osborne raised “a
little under $300.”
He also recruited volunteers to help him build the enclosures. Most
of his help came from fellow church members.
The sun shone brightly June 12 as Osborne and his crew assembled
the frames for the enclosures. It was his second weekend on the
project and Osborne anticipated another one or two weekends to
bring it to completion. Nearby, bobcats and servals were quiet, wary
of the noise and the strangers.
Osborne will have to take photographs and write a brief report on
his project when it’s finished, which he will submit to a council
for review before he officially becomes an Eagle Scout.
The end of the project won’t mark the end of Osborne’s time at
WildCat Haven, though; he is considering volunteering there again.
Osborne’s involvement with the Boy Scouts will also continue after
he becomes an Eagle Scout. This summer he plans to undertake a high
adventure with three other people, wherein he would hike, canoe and
bike over 75 miles in six days across a mountain in Eastern Oregon.
The extra room at WildCat Haven, in the mean time, will allow a few
more displaced, abused or neglected captive-born wildcats to have a
safe place to stretch their legs.
For more information on the WildCat Haven, visit
www.wildcathaven.org.
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From
June 30,
2004, Newberg Graphic
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