First Coopers Trailwork Day Of 2023
— by Adam Polinski
36 volunteers combined their efforts to improve trails at Coopers Rock, on the afternoon of April 20th. The Coopers Rock Foundation was the beneficiary of the organizational efforts of The United Way, who connected volunteers with numerous organizations in the Morgantown community on that day — just two days before Earth Day. The WVU Biochemistry Department sent 32 volunteers to work on Coopers Rock trails..
To help manage a large number of people spread across 3 miles of trails, CRF benefited from three Co-Leaders — one each from The United Way, the Friends of Deckers Creek and the West Virginia Land Trust.
With shovels, rakes, mattocks — and drinking water, the volunteers took to the trails at noon. Almost 3 hilly miles of trails were tended to — Advanced Ski Trail from the paved road crossing down to the Iron Furnace, all of Intermediate Ski Trail, and a segment of Headwaters Trail. All the drainage ditches, culverts, water bars, and dips were cleaned out, as well as the spaces beneath bridges. Some new dips were also dug into the trailbed, to intercept any water on the trails in order to steer it off the low side.
The lower section of Advanced Ski Trail particularly benefited, as it had been years since a trail crew did any drainage maintenance in there.
Some of the afternoon was spent talking about subjects such as Coopers Rock news, forest ecology, and the seasonal changes that come with Springtime. Ice water was a welcome surprise at 5:00 quitting time, provided by the Biochemistry Department, and as the high temperature of the sunny day was around 80 degrees, a few gallons were immediately consumed.
It was a productive day with plenty of good conversation all around, and everybody got a workout.
Combining the walking and talking with the working, 180 Hours were spent on the job by the day’s volunteers.
CRF is grateful for the assistance from Servando Arrendondo of United Way, Brian Hurley of FODC, and Rick Landenberger of the WVLT. And a big thanks to the group who worked all afternoon for the betterment of the Coopers Rock trail system — the WVU Biochemistry Department.
