Arizona Trail Association recognizes Elisabeth Wheeler and Mary Croft from the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club.
Elisabeth Wheeler
The Arizona Trail Association recently recognized the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club and Trail Stewards Elisabeth Wheeler and Mary Croft at the annual meeting of the Arizona Trail Association. Exciting things are happening on the Arizona National Scenic Trail and the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club is an important partner through our business membership and volunteer work events.
As one of only 11 National Scenic Trails in the United States, the Arizona Trail Association is developing a comprehensive management plan to highlight and protect significant scenic, historical, natural and cultural areas that the trail passes. The Arizona Trail Association is partnering with Natural Restorations.org. to clean up illegal dumps and the Four Forest Restoration Initiative to protect vital watersheds along the trail. Last year volunteers worked over 18,000 hours to increase safety and improve the trail experience for all users of the Arizona National Scenic Trail.
Young people are being introduced to environmentally-based education through the Seeds of Stewardship Program. Two part-time coordinators are taking elementary and high school students on learning trips on sections of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, where they are conducting citizen science and doing volunteer environmental projects.
Warrior Hikes on the Arizona National Scenic Trail are being sponsored by a nonprofit organization that helps veterans Walk off the War. Grant money is enabling the Arizona Conservation Corps to hire and train young adults to work on very challenging and remote sections of the Arizona National Scenic Trail.
Gateway Communities along the Arizona National Scenic Trail are establishing connector trails for through-hikers to rest, re-supply and enjoy more of Arizona. And the economic benefits to communities like Patagonia, Oracle, Kearny and Superior are being established.
The Oracle Passage of the Arizona National Scenic Trail is receiving grant money to re-route the trail off of an arduous, adverse 1.1 miles of old road and our SaddleBrooke Hiking Club will have a well-planned and scenic re-route to maintain in the fall of 2016.
You are invited to join SaddleBrooke hikers on our October 26 Work Session on the Arizona Trail. We will be leaving SaddleBrooke at 7:30 a.m. for three hours of satisfying work. We’ll be trimming back the summer overgrowth and clearing water diversion bars. For more information and/or to sign up call Elisabeth Wheeler at 520-818-1547 or Mary Croft at 651-270-1660.