Local youth maintain Wabash Trace

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This article first appeared in INHF's Summer 2008 magazine.

Andrea Chase/INHF

This year’s hard-working summer crew on the Wabash Trace Nature Trail includes (left to right) Lee Wertz of Riverton, Nolan Campbell of Council Bluffs, crew leader Terence Hancock of Malvern, Laura Fry of Council Bluffs and Matt Miller of Malvern (not pictured).

When storms struck the Wabash Trace Nature Trail in southwest Iowa, a team of local youth used their newly acquired chainsaw skills to fight back. Learn more.

Each summer, INHF and Southwest Iowa Nature Trails (SWINT) hire a trail crew through the Heritage Conservation Corps program. In addition to the usual trimming and maintenance duties, this year’s crew repaired the trail’s extensive storm and flood damage. Thanks to their efforts, most of the trail is now passable, though some sections will require heavy equipment to complete.

This crew is funded by a grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Urban Youth Corps program. In addition to trail work, the crew attended SWINT and county conservation board meetings and received training in larger trail issues, conservation topics and job-seeking skills.

 

For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Communications Director, or call (515) 288-1846.