Giving Back through Dedication and Volunteerism
by John Verzani
 

I've been involved with the Trail Work Crew through the South Mountain Reservation from its first days. These days were many years ago now, when some enterprising community members brought representatives from IMBA and JORBA (mountain bike organizations) to come talk about the creation of sustainable trails in the South Mountain Reservation.

At the time, I was very familiar with the trail system, as I had logged many miles running through them. But my eyes were slowly opened up to the possibilities of improving the trail system for all. The first efforts were to address issues with unsustainable trails -- re-routing projects so that the replacement trails didn't erode due to water run off, didn't get as wet due to better tread shaping, and offered a more pleasant experience overall. In these early days there was significant enthusiasm from the volunteers that solidified into monthly activities being planned.  The schedule remains today: the first Sunday of every month except for the dead of winter and with adjustments for holiday weekends we meet and work on improving the trail system.

Since the early days, an enormous number of volunteers have helped improve the trail system through re-routes and through the creation of new trails to improve the hiking experience. The group just finished up the new Dogwood Connector trail with a southern piece connecting Dogwood Hillside to Painter's Point Trail, and a northern piece connecting Dogwood Hillside to the West Connector Trail with access to the two Brookside Drive parking areas. This was just one of many completed projects by the Trail Work Crew -- and there are more to come.

Now when I run the trails with my dog I often have the pleasure of coming across areas that the trail work crew has worked on. Something about being on a trail that was brought into existence through vision and hard work brings my thoughts back to the specific efforts put in on those  days by the many volunteers. Though many of our volunteers come just for a day or two, their efforts on  those days are still very much appreciated and fondly remembered, furthermore, the impacts are visible now and will be for  a long time to come. Some trails in the system are over 125 years old, others have the paint in the blazes barely dry. Let's do our best to keep the system in good shape for the next generation. Please show your appreciation and respect by simply following the leave-no-trace principles including staying on the trail and not wandering off; properly disposing of any trash; and leaving behind for others what you have found.

Guided hikes are free! Registration for general public opens 1 week in advance. Want to register? Visit our public Meetup and Facebook pages, and click the link for registration.
 

Volunteers needed!
Help plant native species and remove invasive plants, and maintain trails in the 14-acre Wildflower and Forest Preserve. Ages 12+ (adult supervision needed below 18).

Please dress appropriately! Wear long pants, closed toe shoes or rain boots, bug spray, and sunscreen. We supply gloves and water. Pre-registration is not required for this program.

Meet at: Wildflower Preserve , aka the Dog Park.

For information, contact Program Coordinators Christy Zolty & Glenn Newman at forestregen@somocon.org

Following CDC guidelines, vaccinated people need not follow any mask guidelines. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html)