OLC’s George Lorimer Preserve has about three miles of walking trails, and one of the most popular sections is the steep section down to the small pond. Unfortunately the combination of heavy traffic and the straight downhill route for erosive run-off rendered the trail not only steep but also rocky and uneven.
To the rescue: Eagle Scout candidate Zach Munch and his team from the Devon 50 troop. Zach worked with Preserve Manager Art Blumenthal and OLC VP Ray Clarke to identify a switchback by-pass route through the adjacent woods. Not only did the projected route reduce the steep slopes, it also allowed the removal of many of the non-native honeysuckle shrubs that have invaded that section of the hillside.
With the route marked out and the largest shrubs cut at the base with OLC chainsaws, the boy scouts could get to work. The stumps were pulled, large numbers of multi-flora bushes and other weeds were removed, and the ground was raked to clear a minimum six foot wide trail through the woods. The team refined the route as the work progressed. The last step of the trail work was to spread and rake grass seed and cover with straw. The new section is currently cordoned off to allow the new grass the best chance to become established over the winter.
As the grass began to sprout, Zach worked to build a signature aspect of the project – a natural log bench. This was installed next to the “Lorimer Stone” memorial to George Lorimer II, which now marks the upper entrance to the re-routed trail. Resting on Zach’s bench gives visitors a moment to reflect on the Lorimer family, without whose generosity the Preserve would likely be yet another housing development. The words engraved on the stone:
FOR GEORGE LORIMER
WHO LOVED THIS LAND
FROM THOSE THAT LOVED HIM
The Conservancy is grateful to Zach and his team of scouts and parents, and all the Eagle Scouts who have done so much to sustain our precious open space and make it accessible for visitors to enjoy.
The photos above show Zach astride the freshly cleared new section (with the current trail to the right) and views of the same section looking down from above the memorial stone and looking back to the rock and to the lovely Shagbark hickory tree at the top of the hill. Finally, Zach relaxing after all the work (while mom appears to be cleaning up in the background!).
A small aside: We have completed a minor improvement at the bottom of the hill, where last year’s storms had torn up the channel that takes overflow when the inlet pipe to the small pond reaches capacity. The recent respite from rainfall has given the replacement seed and sod installed by OLC Board members to become established, as shown in the last photo above.
Downstream erosion remains to be addressed.