Caleb Clark Capstone

For my capstone project, I planned and designed a raised wooden boardwalk at the Penllyn Natural Area to make a consistently muddy and difficult section of the trail easier and safer to pass through. I chose this project because I wanted to build something that would actually help real people, not just complete a school project. I started by meeting with my mentor virtually to figure out where to begin, then spent most of my time researching different types of wood that hold up well outdoors and studying different boardwalk designs to figure out what would work best for the specific trail. I also visited the site twice in person to walk the area and take measurements so my design would be accurate. By the time I finished the planning phase, I had put in around 80 hours of work. The biggest obstacle I ran into was the weather; the ground stayed frozen for a long time, which pushed back my timeline, so I used that extra time to make my research even more thorough. My dad, who is an engineer, helped me think through the structural side of things, and I also relied on websites and videos throughout the process. Beyond making the trail easier to walk, the boardwalk will also protect the ground underneath from being worn down by foot traffic. This project taught me that planning and research are often the hardest parts of building something, and that patience and following through on a long-term goal are skills just as important as any technical knowledge.

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