Thank you, Eagle Scout, Armand

May 6, 2022

Candlelight Ranch would not be where it is today without the exceptional people who have donated their time and talents to the betterment of the Ranch and to the children and families who come to heal from its wild beauty. Our mission’s success and the beauty of our Ranch is possible because of our incredible volunteers, which is why we would like to honor the time, energy, and dedication of an exceptional young person, Armand Morosanu.

This Spring, Armand worked tirelessly to restore our rainwater cistern’s pollinator garden as his chosen Eagle Scout Project. Our 21,000-gallon rainwater collection cistern and its surroundingpollinator garden is a cornerstone of the Ranch’s sustainability, as the cistern works to conserve rainwater in times of drought and the garden serves as a waystation for beneficial pollinators essential to our central Texas ecosystem. Armand and his team of 15 dedicated volunteers, donated 80 hours of service over multiple weekends and after school trips, to give our central garden a much-needed facelift. Armand chose Candlelight Ranch as the site for his Eagle Scout Project after volunteering with our foster families by cooking and serving meals along with his family. During one of their visits, he saw the need for the garden’s restoration (battered from time and years of harsh freezes) and elected to make its restoration a reality. The project entailed the entire refurbishment of the garden including installation of new railroad ties to recreate the gardens edge, amendment of the soil and replanting of native pollinator attracting host plants. Armand was responsible for the project in its entirety including its vision, raising of funds, coordination of labor, acquisition of tools, the communication to Candlelight Ranch and its approval from the Boy Scouts of America.

The achievement of the Eagle Scout rank is a prestigious and hard-earned honor for those who work so tirelessly to be awarded with it. Only 8% of all Boy Scouts receive the ranking of Eagle Scout and there are only about 4,500 Eagle Scouts in all of Texas! Armand reflected on his experience stating “It’s been an amazing time working at the ranch. The atmosphere on the ranch is absolutely tranquil, and a spectacular place to volunteer at. Every workday felt rewarding knowing we were working with amazing people.” Armand is currently a Junior in High School and will be looking forward to his Senior year.  Armand hopes to attend Texas State University in San Marcos to study Music.

We greatly thank Armand, the Morosanu Family, and his team of wonderful volunteers for the incredible amount of time and energy put forth to make this project happen. We are overjoyed to see the return of this garden as a beautiful centerpiece of the Ranch so that all who visit may learn and benefit from the sustainable methods it teaches!