Youth Corps upgrades boardwalk

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Area Youth Conservation Corps members replaced a boardwalk in the Brown Bridge Quiet Area. Robin Christensen, a land management specialist with the Grand Traverse Conservation District, shows off the nearly-completed project. Special to the Record-Eagle/Carol South
Six Youth Conservation Corps members worked earlier this month to complete the 920-foot boardwalk made of locally-harvested black locust wood. Special to the Record-Eagle/Carol South

August 2, 2010

By CAROL SOUTH Special to the Record-Eagle The Record Eagle Mon Aug 02, 2010, 07:16 AM EDT

TRAVERSE CITY — Combine recycled and repurposed wood, enthusiastic youth and a beautiful natural area.

The result is a sturdy boardwalk, 920-feet long, in the Brown Bridge Quiet Area that will last for decades and facilitate exploration of the property.

Not to mention six proud Youth Corps members, ages 16-19, who tackled the upgrade. These students gained life and job skills plus an appreciation for the environment. All that while getting paid — a great opportunity for a demographic with crushing unemployment statistics — and with some participants earning elective credits.

"The kids have learned a lot on this project," said Bill Watson, program director for SEEDS Youth Conservation Corps, which fields 14 crews at projects around the region. "You see them really change. They wanted to work every day and they really have done a great job."

"I get calls from parents all the time about how this has really affected their kids and how proud they are," said Watson of the overall program, which started the summer with 82 youth and now has 65 participants from 10 schools in five counties.

The Brown Bridge Quiet Area boardwalk project began last winter as students helped remove black locust trees, an invasive species, from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Working on the project from raw wood to installation, students processed trees into boards over the winter and installed them this month.

This is the first use of the lumber, described as dense and durable, in the region. Using local wood saves the additional environmental impact of shipping from distant lumber mills. The black locust wood also is untreated, another boon for the local ecosystem.

The resulting boardwalk is twice as wide as the original one, installed in 1989. Where possible, wood and foundation materials were recycled into the upgrade.

Steve Largent, director of land management for the conservation district, helped install the first boardwalk at the start of his career. He appreciated the hard work and dedication shown by the Youth Corps as they absorbed basic stewardship principles.

"When you get a group of young adults, young workers, who really take ownership and pride and really get into it, it's a heck of a lot easier to motivate them," he said. "Once they get out there and invest themselves, they get more invested into the area."

The 1,310-acre Brown Bridge Quiet Area is owned by the City of Traverse City and features eight miles of trails weaving around Brown Bridge Pond. Managed by the Grand Traverse Conservation District, which also manages the county's Nature Education Reserve and the Grand Traverse Commons, the quiet area has a devoted following of both users and volunteers.

"So many people just absolutely love this area — out of all the parklands we manage, I think this is the easiest one to get volunteers for," said Robin Christensen, a land management specialist for the Grand Traverse Conservation District.

The Grand Traverse Conservation District is holding a work bee from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3, to complete the boardwalk project. The public is invited to help but space is limited. Contact Christensen at 941-0960 or e-mail rchristensen@gtcd.org to join the effort.

For more information on the Grand Traverse Conservation District, call 941-0960 or visit www.gtcd.org. For more information on SEEDS, visit www.ecoseeds.org.