The Hommocks Middle School community is proud to celebrate a remarkable student-led achievement: the complete revitalization of the school garden, spearheaded by Mamaroneck High School junior Daniel Wetmore as part of his Eagle Scout project.

Thanks to Daniel’s vision, leadership, and perseverance, the once-overgrown and outdated garden has been transformed into a vibrant and functional outdoor learning space. The newly redesigned garden will now serve over 1,400 students annually through Family & Consumer Science (FACS) classes, science lessons, and adaptive programs.

“Working on the project was a fantastic experience in project management and adapting to new circumstances,” Daniel shared. “Knowing my project would be used after it was finished was one of the greatest motivators to completing it. I felt that I was being truly useful to my community—something that Scouting America as a whole espouses.”

Daniel led a team of fellow Scouts in removing aging garden beds, turning and refreshing the soil, and installing brand-new galvanized metal beds. The team laid two protective layers of weed barrier and created clean, defined paths using locally sourced wood chips. The new layout was designed by Daniel himself and made possible through a generous donation from the Hommocks PTA, which funded the new beds.

He also acknowledged the many hands that made the project possible. “It would have been impossible to finish—or even start—without the support the Scouts lent through their strength and fortitude. I also want to commend the non-scouts that helped me work, notably Gabriel Dzownek and Luke Derzie, neither of whom gained benefit through helping me, but did it anyway.”

Daniel’s project not only saved the district thousands of dollars in labor costs, but it also created a sustainable garden space that will continue to give back. Plans are already underway to maintain the garden with help from summer volunteers, who will assist in harvesting produce for donation to the Larchmont Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force—an organization serving over 1,000 local families.

“Daniel’s project is a remarkable example of youth leadership, community service, and the power of collaboration,” said Hommocks Middle School Family & Consumer Science teachers Betty Comerford and Sara Hanna. “His initiative will have a lasting impact on our students, our curriculum, and our broader community.”