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Spartanburg Eagle Scout completes kiosk at Union County's Thurmond Dove Field October 30, 2017

Eagle Scout David Helm (center) of Spartanburg completed the requirements of his Eagle Scout award by designing and leading construction of a kiosk at Thurmond Dove Field in Union County, a public dove field managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). At left is David's mother, Audra, and at right is Craig Brooks, Scoutmaster of Troop 5 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Spartanburg. (Photo: Greg Lucas/SCDNR)

Eagle Scout David Helm (center) of Spartanburg completed the requirements of his Eagle Scout award by designing and leading construction of a kiosk at Thurmond Dove Field in Union County, a public dove field managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). At left is David's mother, Audra, and at right is Craig Brooks, Scoutmaster of Troop 5 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Spartanburg. (Photo: Greg Lucas/SCDNR)

David Helm, a 16-year-old student at Spartanburg High School, recently completed a kiosk at the Thurmond Dove Field in Union County as an Eagle Scout project.

David designed an 8-by-12-foot kiosk of treated lumber with a metal roof and put together a team of workers to build the kiosk at the dove field. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), donated the lumber and materials for the kiosk. The kiosk is used as an information board for the public dove field, which is open Monday through Saturdays, afternoons only, when the mourning dove season reopens Nov. 11-25 and Dec. 15 through Jan. 15, 2018.

"He did a great job putting this kiosk together," said Kip Petty, SCDNR wildlife technician, "and he had a great team helping him."

David, a member of Boy Scout Troop 5 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Spartanburg, is the son of Mike and Audra Helm of Spartanburg. Craig Brooks is the Scoutmaster of Troop 5.

"I want to help the younger Scouts to achieve their Eagle Scout rank and to continue my path through Scouting," David said. "I plan to become a Scout leader someday and help Scouts with disabilities obtain their Eagle Scout award." David said he plans to attend a South Carolina college and become a computer programmer.

The Thurmond Dove Field is about 14 acres and is located off S.C. Highway 9, near Lockhart, in Union County. It is part of the Thurmond Tract Wildlife Management Area. For more information on the Thurmond Tract Wildlife Management Area, visit https://www2.dnr.sc.gov/ManagedLands/ManagedLand/ManagedLand/54.

In addition to public-hunting opportunities, the 195-acre Thurmond Tract is available for wildlife observation and nature study, wildlife photography and other types of outdoor recreation. The area provides excellent habitat for a variety of wildlife species that includes birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

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