Students Spend Break Working in Park

    For many, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a prime vacation destination, but for 67 college students it was much more than that.
    Groups from the University of Virginia, Truman University, New York University, University of Colorado, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Warren Wilson College spent their spring break doing trail work in Great Smoky Mountains National Park as part of the Trails Forever program.
    Trails Forever is a partnership between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Friends of the Smokies that provides funding for trail projects through a challenge grant from the Aslan Foundation in Knoxville.
    The program is a unique opportunity for anyone who loves the Smokies to contribute to its lasting preservation – as a supporter or a volunteer.
    University of Virginia Volunteer Colin Custer said, “Part of the reason this program is so great is the fact that we’re building something that people will use and enjoy for generations to come… the knowledge that you are doing something so lasting and useful makes the experience extremely worthwhile”.
   The students camped at different locations throughout the Park and spent their days digging out water bars on Low Gap Trail, making improvements to the trail tread on Noland Divide and Pine Oak Nature Trails, building structures to improve muddy or dangerous areas on Newton Bald and Caldwell Fork Trails, just to name a few.
    “There is something so fulfilling and rewarding about hiking a trail that you’ve worked on,” said Emily Gannon a volunteer from Truman University.
    Through leadership provided by Park Trails staff and 2,226 volunteer hours provided by the volunteers, all six groups completed work on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park trail system that, in many cases, would not have otherwise been completed this year.
   “These college students did more than move a lot of dirt around and rebuild segments of trail, they gained an appreciation for the Park and are on their way to being the next generation of National Park Service stewards,” said Christine Hoyer, Park Trails and Facilities Volunteer Coordinator.
   Ian Flatt (University of Virginia) summed it up when he said, “From these few short days of work, I have developed an attachment to this park that I will carry with me for a lifetime.”
   Spring break groups are just one of the ways the Park incorporates volunteers in the Trails Forever program. For more information about the program or to volunteer in any of the upcoming Trails Forever workdays, contact Christine Hoyer at (828) 497-1949 or Christine_Hoyer@nps.gov.