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| DRBA
News Archives... |
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July 7, 2009 |
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Local Trails Get Help from Volunteer Groups |
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Take a walk along the Fieldale Trail most any day of the week and you’re likely to see a group of volunteers known as “Friends of the Fieldale Trail.” The group is part of the Smith River Trail System’s Adopt-a-Trail Program developed by the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA).
Jennifer Doss of DRBA is the adopt-a-trail coordinator and helps place families and groups with sections of trail in need of adoption. “The Friends of the Fieldale Trail has shown so much enthusiasm, and they really stand out as ambassadors for the Fieldale Trail,” said Doss.
The “Friends” group has enhanced the Fieldale Trail by building and installing bluebird boxes, establishing a recycling program on the trail, picking up litter and hosting volunteer workdays. At a recent volunteer event, the group, in coordination with DRBA, opened up an additional 1,700 feet of trail for walkers and cyclists.
The group is led by team captain Paula Wyatt and includes her husband, Tommy, and children Beth and Chris, along with friends Tracy and Nancy Kennett and Benny and Pam Setliff.
According to the Wyatts, the group wants “to obtain sponsorship through area animal shelters and stores” to help buy supplies for the group’s next project, which will include installing “dropping bags and containers” throughout the trail for pet owners who enjoy walking their pets on the trail.
At 2 p.m. Aug. 9, the group will meet to work on the lower half of the Fieldale trail, and the next volunteer workday will be the second weekend in September. Everyone is welcome.
On the other side of Henry County, members of the Gardner family of Martinsville volunteer at the Richard P. Gravely Jr. Nature Preserve in Ridgeway. Team captain Martin Gardner works with his son Jackson to help extend the Rhododendron Trail on the preserve’s property. Doss said this extension of the trail will provide “one mile of riverfront walking trail that guides visitors through a living tunnel of rhododendron bushes.”
The purpose of the Adopt-a-Trail Program is to provide opportunities for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians to help DRBA support Henry County Parks and Recreation and Eden, N.C., Parks & Recreation. The program coordinates volunteer activities to monitor, maintain and enhance trails and trailhead facilities along the Smith River Trail System, according to a DRBA release.
Roger Adams, director of Henry County Parks and Recreation, said that volunteers “are a vital part of the maintenance of the trail system, especially as we continue to add additional trails.”
Through the work and dedication of these groups and individuals, Henry County’s trails have been maintained to their highest standards and will continue to expand and prosper, according to a DRBA news release.
More volunteers are needed. School and youth groups; Scout troops; church, community and service organizations; businesses; families, individuals or groups of individuals can adopt a trail.
To learn more about becoming involved with “Friends of the Fieldale Trail,” contact Tommy and Paula Wyatt at 647-3274. For more information on the Adopt-a-Trail program or to register as a volunteer, contact Doss at 634-2545 or jdoss@danriver.org. |
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