Earth Day Trail Maintenance

This past Saturday, Grafton Lakes State Park welcomed volunteers to assist with some trail maintenance and repairs in honor of Earth Day. Up at the park, April can be quite fickle, and this day was no exception. Like out of the scene of a horror movie, fog had descended upon the park, and with a blend of snow and rain falling from the sky, it was enough to make anybody reconsider their commitments. 

However, the plateau is a sanctuary for many patrons and its fickle spring weather could not deter these hearty volunteers who sought to show some love for the trails they enjoy so much all year round.

The event consisted of three main projects: turnpikes on Long Pond to remediate issues of wetness on the trail, extending the boardwalk on the north end of Long Pond, and brush removal in the blueberry patch on Gartler Trail to foster better growth. 

The leadership from Saratoga Mountain Biking Association (SMBA), was greatly appreciated in  helping to build the turnpikes on Long Pond trail. In total, 19 volunteers donated a combined 76 hours of time. All volunteers earned two snowshoe passes for their efforts, four hours of volunteer time towards our benefits package, and Joyce Mosher won our 50th anniversary t-shirt give-away!

If you would like to participate in a volunteer event, earn snowshoe passes, and possibly win a 50th anniversary t-shirt, sign up for I Love My Park Day, taking place on May 1st! Call the park today at 518-279-1155 to register.

Want to know more about events coming up at the park? Check out our Park website or Facebook.

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