Adopt a trail at Strawberry Hill

National Trails Day on June 3 offered the perfect opportunity to launch our Adopt-a-Trail program, made possible by a grant from the Adams County Foundation. We hope this program will give our supporters a chance to reconnect with nature while they help maintain our 10 miles of trails. In as few as four workdays a year, adopters can help preserve our environment and keep our trails safe for visitors. Good stewardship, good exercise, great cause!

How does the program work?

Adopt-a-Trail is a volunteer program that gives hikers a chance to help Strawberry Hill staff by monitoring, maintaining, and enhancing trails and trailhead facilities. We’ve divided the trails into 10 sections, each about a mile long. Volunteers who adopt a section of trail will receive instruction in trail maintenance from Strawberry Hill staff. If a task requires a tool you do not own, we will lend you the appropriate equipment. A recognition sign bearing the names of those who have adopted a trail will be posted at the trail entrance. A trail or trail section must be adopted for a period of one year, renewable annually thereafter upon approval by the Preserve Manager.

Trail adoptions to date

During the National Trails Day kickoff event on June 3, the following people adopted trails:
• Will Kammerar (Nature Trail)
• Jack Handshaw, Jim Fisher, Cory Fisher (Quarry Trail)
• Flavious Clapsadl (Foothills Trail, section A)
• Doc Hammett, Bill Hahn and family (Foothills Trail, section B)
• Ron Sheaffer, Donna Shaffer, Dick Sanders, Roy P. Shaffer, Roy L. Shaffer (Foothills Trail, section C) See gallery photo.
• Martin Shaffer, Deb Shaffer, Bill Sprenkle (Foothills Trail, section D)
• Children’s Montessori School of Gettysburg (Middle Creek Trail)
Swamp Creek Trail and Baker's Knob Trail remain to be adopted.

Can anyone adopt a trail?

We encourage individuals, families, scout troops, youth groups, schools, churches, community and service organizations, special interest groups, and individuals to get involved. Anyone with an interest in trails and the outdoors is welcome to help us preserve our land and provide safe, enjoyable access to the outdoors.

Are trail-adopters compensated?

As a volunteer you will not be paid, but you will be rewarded.
• Your name will appear on a sign posted on the trail.
• Youíll receive special recognition at our annual Volunteer Dinner.
• You will be actively protecting and maintaining natural resources.
• Youíll enjoy time outdoors connecting with nature.
• Most important, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that youíve done something worthwhile for our environment and valuable for recreational hikers.

What are trail adopters expected to do?

Adopt-a-Trail volunteers will help Strawberry Hill staff maintain trail systems by keeping trail surfaces free of sticks, rocks, and other debris; pruning small limbs from the trail corridor; cleaning waterbars and drainage ditches; clearing debris from bridges and boardwalks; maintaining the trailhead area, including public access areas, bulletin board, and trail signs; and reporting trail hazards, vandalism, and safety issues. Depending on your interest and abilities, you might want to help repair trail structures, build benches, or do environmental restoration work.

When can adopters work on their trails?

Trail work can be done on your own schedule and at your own pace. A minimum of four inspection and/or work days should be carried out per year, spread throughout the seasons.

How to adopt a trail

If you or anyone you know is interested in adopting a Strawberry Hill trail, email Yvonne Werzinsky or call (717) 642-5840. You can choose any available trail or trail section. Assignments are made on a first come, first served basis. Before any work is initiated, trail volunteers and the Strawberry Hill Foundation, Inc., will sign a Letter of Agreement outlining the volunteer’s responsibilities and obligations.
Note • For safety reasons, all trail maintenance must be carried out by a minimum of two volunteers, as the nature of the work may involve handling axes and power saws.

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