Et cetera : NCCC Maple 8 tackles trails at Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy

By: Noel McQueen

Maple 8 is serving with the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy in Michigan until August 26. When they first arrived, the team received a warm welcome from the community and the staff of the conservancy.

Maple 8 starts work every day at 8:30 a.m. where they tread through “Mosquito Valley” to begin their long strenuous day of service work. “Mosquito Valley” is a mosquito infested area of the trail they are working on.

Once at their site, Maple 8 jumps into action. They split up into teams to conquer the ridged, root infested trails. The first group uses rouge hoes on the banks of the trails, also known as benching. The second group, with their mighty McClouds, begins to rake and smooth out the rocky, chapped trails. Through their work, Maple 8 is assisting to design well groomed and commendable trails for the admirers to hike and bike in the early mornings or late evenings.

“I enjoy maintaining the trails, although its hard work I like seeing the end product. The community is so appreciative of what my team and I are out here doing. Knowing that they have so much appreciation makes me want to work harder,” says Maple 8 member Diana Stradley.

Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy wants to protect natural and scenic areas and advance land stewardship for generations to come. With a five county service area in Northern Michigan they work closely with land owners to place voluntary permeate conservation easements on their property. They provide access to nature and recreation, and manage the natural resources with a comprehensive invasive species program, forest land management and general stewardship to protect natural habits for their regions.