When I think of the summer schedule of a typical teenager, manual labor is not an image that immediately comes to mind. Yet last summer I witnessed first-hand how some Upper Valley teens spent one week during their summer with the Upper Valley Trails Alliance (UVTA), sweating away while improving trails in a “summer camp meets first job” kind of experience. In July and August, UVTA hosts the Outdoor Odyssey High School Trail Corps, and this season we will work with 41 students from 16 high schools throughout the Upper Valley and from varying cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds. Together they will accomplish tasks ranging from pulling out invasive species and diverting water runoff to carefully guiding rocks weighing hundreds of pounds into place to create stone stairways.
I became a huge fan of the Trail Corps last summer after a memorable day working on the Mascoma River Greenway in Lebanon. It was a sultry August day and our mission was to remove old creosote soaked rail ties, some weighing nearly 300 pounds. I wasn’t very excited about the work ahead, but the Trail Corps students were highly motivated to remove over ten tons of rail ties — more than the group from the prior week.
Motivated by this goal, we dove in to our work, carefully calculating how each tie would be lifted and placed into a pick-up truck to be hauled away. This kind of work demanded precise discussions from each of the students, and in my opinion, it is this kind of effort that brings out the best attributes of the Trail Corps experience. Each corps member understood the repercussions of a 300 pound rail tie landing on their foot, and so they were forced to communicate explicitly and ensure that directions were understood. I was incredibly proud of their willingness to trust their fellow corps members, and their consistent commitment to the goal at hand.
Even after I stepped on a ground nest of yellow jackets, causing several of us to be stung multiple times, we persevered without complaint, even more committed to exceeding our goal. Each challenge seemed to fuel us, rather than defeat us. My soul was lifted by this tremendous group of hard working students!
We finally stopped a few hours later, as the threat of a thundershower forced us to stop our work so we could fit in our fun activity that we end each day with – a shower and a swim in the Lebanon Veterans Pool. Although our late arrival and long showers allowed for only a few to actually have time to swim, no one really cared.
We had tabulated the amount of rail ties removed and celebrated our victory in exceeding the prior goal. We removed 22,100 pounds of rail ties – a full ton more than the week prior! I simply marveled at the tenacity and commitment that these students brought to the corps that day, and every day thereafter, in spite of heat, hard work, bee stings, and bodies caked with dirt and creosote.
I was so very proud of these students. I can’t wait to do it again this year!
Since its inception in 2013, the Trail Corps program has led 100 students in trail building and maintenance on over 25 trails in the Upper Valley. The goals of the program are to bolster young trail stewards and advocates, while providing the opportunity to build self-confidence and on-the-job skills such as communication, planning, collaboration, and execution.
Thetford resident Anabel Reining, a 2015 Trail Corps student, was impressed with the way the team cooperated and adjusted together.
“In the beginning of the day, peoplework in small groups, struggling unnecessarily,” she said. “By the end of the day, there are bigger groups that are fluid, and change constantly to respond to need. We improve by asking for help, and seeing where help is needed, and we help.”
This unique, local program is available for students from eighth grade through senior year, and interest grows each year. It is funded though generous donations from supporters of the Upper Valley Trails Alliance and through a variety of grants. Each Trail Corps participant receives a $25 per day stipend for their effort, providing for younger corps members the chance to begin a resume with their Trail Corps experience.
What makes UVTA’s program unique is that it offers students the opportunity to do trail work without having to commit to overnight camping or leaving home for extended periods. Additionally, corps members are working on trails in their home region, where they often return with friends to show off the fruits of the effort.
This summer the Trail Corps will work on a dozen trails, including the River Trail and the new Trescott Water Supply Lands in Hanover; the Cross Rivendell Trail; Wright’s Mountain in Bradford, Vt.; Norwich’s Gile Mountain, Rosemary Little Rieser, and the King Arthur Flour trail network; the Mascoma River Greenway, Cardigan Mountain, and parts of the Appalachian Trail. Although the program is full for this summer, please check our website at www.uvtrails.org in January for 2017 Trail Corps applications. Be sure to look for us out on a trail near you this summer and encourage our young students and trail stewards!