Visitors to Cedar Hollow Preserve will have a much easier time hiking the loop trail along Valley Creek and Cedar Hollow Run thanks to the efforts of a hardworking team of Americorps volunteers on April 20th.
Last year's rains had soaked the ground where the trail runs through the woods from the iconic sycamore tree to Valley Creek, leaving a slippery and unpleasant stretch of mud and muck. Preserve Manager Tim Magee envisioned and tested a solution: raise and restore the trail by relocating gravel from stormwater sediment in the Preserve upstream of the trail. His pilot showed promise, but left us with the problem: how to move all that gravel and dirt?
To the rescue: Conservancy friend Kate Jensen who is managing a team of Americorps members at Valley Forge Park. The team looks for opportunities outside their regular work to volunteer their free time for community organizations and Kate made the connection for us. It turned out to be a perfect project: a combination of the young backs and energy from Americorps and great planning by Tim, so that everyone was focused and effective. Tim estimates that the team shoveled and moved by wheelbarrow at least three cubic yards of material.
The two wettest sections of that part of the trail should now drain more effectively and allow for easier, less sloppy travel. And it was really gratifying that one of the Preserve's most frequent visitors happened to walk by during the work-in-progress and relayed her appreciation to the team. Thanks to all for this great collaboration!