KINGSTON — After years of uncertainty whether the Carpenter Lake Trail project would sink or swim, the boardwalk finally found the buoy it needed and is ready for its grand unveiling at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 25. At that time, residents and students will be able to visit the area near Gordon Elementary School to learn about the finished product.

In the meantime, the bog ecosystem that is Carpenter Lake, is being spruced up with the help of Stillwaters Environmental Center volunteers.

“We’re doing a huge work party on the property Saturday,” said Stillwaters administrative director Naomi Maasberg, adding that supporters want the area to look its best for those attending the event. “Some of the construction stuff is still around, and we want to clean that up before the opening.”

The idea of turning the Carpenter Lake ecosystem, which is classified as a bog, into a learning environment started about 10 years ago, Maasberg said.

The project went through many design shifts and years of planning before construction began, she said.

“There were originally 10 platforms, but we had to cut it back to eight because there would be too much impact on the ecosystem otherwise,” said Kitsap County’s senior maintenance supervisor Dori Leckner. “The boardwalk is also set further back from Carpenter Lake than we had originally wanted for the same reason.”

At one point, the construction itself became, literally, stuck in the mud, Maasberg said. The project was expected to be finished by fall 2005, but problems with a neighbor and an early rainy season mired work.

After the neighbor’s complaint and skies cleared, work started again June 26 and was finished in September, Leckner said. The boardwalk was announced to be “tentatively ready” for its grand opening.

“Everybody will be able to walk down the boardwalk and see what it offers,” Maasberg said, adding that there will be members from the original stewardship and residents from the community present to discuss the project and tell stories about Carpenter Lake. “We’re hoping to get a few folks to tell the story of how the tractor sank into the bog years ago.”

Students from Gordon will also be hosting the event, handing out refreshments and programs, said Gordon Principal Claudia Alves.

“There will be two students from every class, kindergarten through sixth grade,” she said.

“North Kitsap will be able to offer this area as part of their education now,” Leckner said. “This will really benefit Gordon and the new high school.”

Teachers are already taking their students out onto the boardwalk to learn about the ecosystem there in a hands on environment, Alves said.

“I’m sure teachers will have them do something in the next year,” she said. “We’ll probably have a curriculum for the area next year.”