Clearing Trails, Making Friends

After a day clearing brush from multi-use trails at county parks, volunteer Marybeth Magno feels great.

"You get hot and thirsty, but it's worth it," said Magno, a Matawan resident in her early 60s. "Its meaningful to me."

Magno is one of 174 volunteers who have stepped up to offer their help to the county parks department to maintain its excellent trails used by cyclists, runners, and equestrians. The group ranges from high schoolers to retirees, who all want to give back to the community. 

The next training session for new members aged 16 and up will be held Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. - noon at the Thompson Park Annex Training Center, located at 53 Longbridge Road, Holmdel.

Melissa Kelly organizes the trail maintenance sessions for the Monmouth County Parks System, which are typically announced for Saturdays, twice a month from March through November. The teams cycle through 124 miles of trails both rugged and broad in different parks under the direction of Ken Thoman, the county Park Resources Manager. "It's a teamwork atmosphere," she said. "You might share a tool with another member. It can be labor intensive," she said.

Last Saturday a group of 13 broke up into three groups to clear the travelway at Thompson Park. Tree roots were popping up on the trail, a tripping hazard. New growth was starting to encroach on the walkway. Under the direction of the park managers and rangers, the group used hedging shears and loppers to trim back the foliage, a special tool used to cut roots, and a bow saw to saw branches.

Volunteers are not permitted to use chainsaws or heavy power tools, so the rangers do a fair share of work on the trails depending upon the park and project, said Kelly.

In Holmdel Park on May 21, 20 members recently got themselves good and muddy while making repairs to the Marsh Trail boardwalk, a serene trek through lush green ferns and skunk cabbage. (See the video.)

The next clean-up will take place Oct. 15 at Hartshorne Woods. To attend, a volunteer needs to attend a mandatory training session. They are offered three times a year, in March, May and October.

Magno enjoys being outdoors with friends, knowing that they are making a difference in their community by working together.

"It's a wonderful group of people. We work together, it really is a team effort," Magno said. "It's just nice being out in the environment, too. When we're working on the trail, there might be someone there mountain biking, thanking us for clearing the trail."

Werner Aehlich, 73, of Holmdel, an avid hiker, tries to make all the work sessions, even the ones that cost a pretty penny in gas money due to the distance, like Perrineville Lake Park.

On trail maintenance days he suits up in heavy hiking boots, long trousers, the long-sleeved volunteer shirt and a hat. Because he's handy with the cutting and pruning shears, he volunteers to take on those assignments. "Mostly I like being with the people," he said, adding that he's made a good friend along the way. Aehlich moved to Holmdel 16 years ago because of the beautiful parks, he said. "I found the parks so beautiful down here, I wanted to be a part of it."

At the end of a trail-clearing day he says he spents. "You know you were out there and you walked and you worked. You know you got your exercise."

For more information, you can contact Melissa Kelly, Coordinator of Volunteers for the Monmouth County Park System. She can be reached at (732) 842-4000 X 4283 and mkelly@monmouthcountyparks.com.