It takes more than cold temperatures to deter the members of Dartmouth’s Boy Scout Troop 74 when they are ready to work.

Despite temperatures in the 20s, six boys aged 12 to 17 gathered with troop leaders at Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary on February 15 to help clear a nature path.

Armed with hedge clippers and shears, the boys cut back growth and widened the trail at the Mass Audubon Society wildlife sanctuary.

“It was amazing,” said troop leader Douglas D’Atri. “We took this part of the path, which was actually quite overgrown, and we at least doubled the width. The boys worked really hard.” 

D’Atri noted that the scout troop didn’t complain, instead remarking that they were working too hard to feel the cold. 

And some even enjoyed the views while they worked.

The path overlooks a salt marsh near Horseneck Beach. 

“It actually kind of took my breath away for a minute,” said D’Atri of the scenery.

But the kids earned rewards that went beyond the beautiful view. 

“They really saw the value in it and they really saw the results of their efforts when we were done,” noted D’Atri. 

He added that one of the kids, Tyler Ferreira, remarked to him that they accomplished a lot by working together.

“I thought that was really telling, to come from a 12-year-old boy, to notice that if they work together they can accomplish a fairly decent task rather quickly,” he said. 

The scout troop and Mass Audubon were able to work together after Adult Scout leader Nelson Amaral reached out to the organization looking for service opportunities.

According to D’Atri, the troop is always looking for service projects for the kids to take on, especially those centered on conservation. 

“It's something we try to do,” said D’Atri. “In Scouts it’s one of our core values, to give the boys these types of opportunities.” 

The Allens Pond trails are maintained with funds from a 2003 Buzzards Bay oil spill in which  nearly 500 birds were killed and 98,000 gallons of oil discharged off the Westport coast.

Thousands of birds and other wildlife were adversely affected by the spill.

Property Manager for South Coast Sanctuaries Lauren Miller-Donnelly noted that the future of the Allens Pond sanctuary looks bright, as the organization plans to unveil an accessible path this June. 

Miller-Donnelly added that she hopes this will be just the beginning of a relationship with the Scouts, and that through teamwork, the group really helped make a difference. 

“One person can’t do it on their own,” she said. 

Boy Scout Troop 74 is always accepting new members. The troop meets each Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Smith Mills Christian Congregational Church, 11 Anderson Way.