Volunteers clear out space for Freeport Trail
Volunteers worked until noon Saturday to extend by more than half a mile the Butler-Freeport Community Trail.
Board president Chris Ziegler said volunteers cleared the path by grubbing a trail, removing small trees and brush.
“There’s a sense of giving back, and of camaraderie,” she said.
Saturday’s volunteer work session followed a lease agreement between Buffalo Township and Norfolk Southern railroad allowing a 0.6-mile extension of the trail.
The easement, approved in October, allowed for more pathway to be cleared, Ziegler said, and made additional space for parking and a kayak launch possible.
Ziegler, who has been on the board for 20 years, said regular maintenance of the trail involves mowing, pruning, cleaning ditches and putting in picnic tables and benches.
She said the trail offers paths for biking and hiking, and is popular with photography enthusiasts, geocachers and birdwatchers.
It’s also an excuse to socialize, and offers an opportunity to disconnect from a hurried schedule.
“Some of my best friends I would have never even known if it hadn’t been for the trail,” Ziegler said. “On the trail, everyone says hello.”
“(Nature is) just beautiful,” she said. “We live in a beautiful space and region ... behind my house, I love to hear the kids riding their bikes. That’s what it’s all about.”
