There’s an anniversary coming up next month that deserves to be recognized as a lot of people doing a lot of good for their neighbors.

It will be 30 years in October since the Butler-Freeport Community Trail opened. It provides runners, bicyclists, dog walkers and nature lovers with 20 miles of travel through woods and along streams safe from vehicle traffic.

It took a lot of effort and many man hours to convert the old Conrail railroad tracks into today’s trail. Volunteers removed a mountain of abandoned railroad ties and discarded tires from the track.

The rough ballast surface had to be smoothed and made more readily navigable for bicyclists.

Boy Scouts built bulletin boards, benches and picnic tables along the route.

In addition to biking and walking, trail users can bird watch, fish, view wildflowers or take part in geocaching. The trail has 40+ geocaches hidden along its length. The trail council and local geocaching group BACON sponsor beginner geocaching events several times a year.

Church groups have used the trail for Crop Walks, which are walkathons that benefit charities addressing hunger worldwide. School organizations have used the trail for fundraising 5K races. The Sierra Club, Venture Outdoors, the Butler Outdoors Club and other groups also have sponsored activities on the trail.

And the Butler-Freeport Trail Council keeps working to make improvements.

An old railroad caboose was placed near the Cabot trailhead. A cafe was opened in Herman that offers trail travelers ice cream, coffee, water and snacks.

On the southern end of the trail, the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania added the Buffalo Creek Nature Park. In addition to its regular nature programs, the park’s center offers vending machines and bathrooms for trail users.

The work is done by unpaid volunteers who give their time to make the trail a community asset and an attractive destination for people traveling to Butler County.

The trail council is planning a 30th anniversary celebration in October, possibly centered around the caboose at the Cabot trailhead. It has a lot to celebrate, and we all owe our thanks to the council members and volunteers who work to improve an already impressive trail.

— EKF