That was the only question I had to ask when I attended the Friends of Webster Trails‘ (FWT) annual meeting earlier this week. And that was because during the hour-long meeting, I heard that word perhaps a dozen times.
The annual meeting is an opportunity for FWT board members and community members to come together and hear this year’s updates on the Friends’ financial standing, membership numbers and ongoing projects. It was held at Liberty Lodge at Finn Park, and was attended by perhaps 30 board members and trail volunteers, and more than a few FWT members from the greater Webster community.
I was one of those community members. As a long-time supporter of the Friends, I know how much time and effort this all-volunteer organization spends maintaining and expanding our town’s incredible trail system. But I wanted to learn in more detail about what’s been accomplished this year.
Short answer? A LOT.
It was an annual meeting, so of course there were discussions about how much money is in the savings account, how many new members joined since last November, how many people use the trails, and how the Friends’ ReTree Initiative is progressing. But when the discussion turned to reports from the trail stewards, I really sat up and took notice.
Because there are so many trails, it took about a half hour for all the trail stewards to present their summaries, mostly because an awful lot has been accomplished this year.
For starters, two brand new trail systems were added this year — Herman Rd. Forever Wild Forest and State Rd. Nature Preserve. That means that 32 trails and trail spurs now crisscross our town, measuring almost 30 miles of natural beauty.
Throughout the trail system, benches were built or replaced; countless loads of gravel were spread over wet areas; downed trees were cleared; boardwalks were built, fixed and replaced; trail signs were fixed and new signs installed; and new trails were blazed. The Friends also hosted several special events for children and families, including the very popular Hot Cocoa and Cars Along the Creek hikes, a Summer Reading Kickoff Party, guided hikes at Four Mile Creek and Gosnell Big Woods Preserve, and ten community workdays.
Oh yeah, they also built or replaced many puncheons. I learned that the word has a couple of definitions, but when it comes to trail maintenance, a puncheon is a road or walkway built with split logs or timbers. As you can imagine, they’re a vital tool in the trail builder’s arsenal.
It was a busy year, but a typical one for the all-volunteer Friends of Webster Trails, who work tirelessly all year to maintain our trails and build new ones. And even now they’re looking forward to next year and all the ways they can keep improving the trails. Their goals range from adding and updating trail markers to building more benches, platforms, bridges and kiosks, to even creating a wheelchair-accessible trail. And of course they’re always watching for opportunities to add brand new trails.
But they can’t do all these great things without community support, and there are several easy ways to do that. You can become a member for just $10 a year and get the monthly newsletter emailed to you, telling you about all the upcoming events. You can just go online to Webstertrails.org and make a direct donation. You can also make a donation in memory of a family member or friend.
If you love our trails and you love to hike, consider showing the Friends of Webster Trails how much you appreciate their efforts by becoming a member or making a donation.
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(posted 11/14/2024)
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