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VIENNA -- Girl Scout Zoe Fisher wanted to do something that would benefit the community, so she decided a play area for children would be ideal.
Since the area was located next to the Vienna United Methodist Church, it was decided it would look like Noah's Ark surrounded by a sidewalks and a variety of plants.
The project was for Fisher's Gold Award in Scouting as a member of Girl Scout Troop 80543.
The dedication of the new play area took place Sunday by Pastor Sam Mohn, who said it is a nice addition to the church grounds.
An old tree was removed to make room for the play area and then the sidewalk was added to the nearby pavilion so children do not have to run through wet grass. The location was once a site of a small lake.
The play area has a slide, climbing units and rock wall, all connected to the main ark.
Work began last August with the digging and then the planting and grass were done in this spring.
Fisher, 17, who is a senior at Mathews High School, said the ark also will be available for anyone from the church.
"This is the official opening. It was a lot of hard work," she said.
The Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn and is equivalent to an Eagle Scout award in Boy Scouts.
"I was originally going to do a project across the street, but it was decided to be here by the church. I wanted to have plants here that are safe to touch," Fisher said.
The ark has a large cross on top of it. She said all the plants have nice smells, such as lavender. She said Gilmore Designs provided items for her project.
"I am an Eagle Scout and her brother is going to be starting his Eagle Scout project soon, so I am very proud of what she did. To earn this award is an achievement she will always be proud of," her dad, Mike Fisher, said.
"Some people have said the Gold Award is harder to get because the Scout has to have a plan after the project is completed on how to maintain what was done for so many years. There is a lot of planning and fundraising and the building hours. Zoe's project was bigger than other Gold Award projects," he said.
Fisher said she plans to attend Ohio Northern University for mechanical and civil engineering.