Et cetera : NCCC Oak 3 Making a Difference in Traverse City

Valerie Munoz taking out a barbed wire fence from a trail at Traverse City State Park

Blake Thomas and Alexis Pittman putting in a post marking the park boundaries

By: Maureen Murphy

Oak 3 has been serving at Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in Traverse City, Michigan. The staff has been very welcoming and friendly, ensuring the NCCC team is able to experience a variety of projects.

The team is beautifying the park by picking up garbage, widening trails and transplanting flora along the trail. Many people visit the park year round so Oak 3’s maintenance helps a lot. The team has also removed an old barbed wire fence and posting signs to mark the park property.“I really enjoy working with my team in a beautiful setting to better a recreation area for families to use and enjoy,” says Oak 3 Team Leader Sara Witsken.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources strives to conserve, protect and manage state parks and to provide access to unique water and land based recreational opportunities. Traverse City State Park features a quarter mile of beach on the bay and only two miles from Traverse City, one of the most popular resort towns in Michigan. The campground is open year round and is especially popular during the summer months.