National Lakeshore to conduct Adopt-A-Trail
MUNISING — It’s common to see trash strewn about the side of trails and campsites. But one national park, along with the help of several volunteers, has spent the last ten years keeping their trails free from debris.
It’s similar to Adopt-A-Highway, but the program at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore allows volunteers to adopt sections of trails, beaches and back-country campsites.
This projects allows participants to pick up litter, help with brush and potentially rid an area of invasive species, all while enjoying the park’s natural beauty. Volunteers are then asked to visit their sites once a month through October.
There are 37 sections up for adoption but only about 25 were claimed last year.
“This year, we’re hoping to get some new volunteers. We have people that have been with us since the beginning in 2006 so we’re hoping to get some new faces out there and get some more people involved in the park,” said Pictured Rocks Park Ranger Ron Jones. “We’re pretty fortunate here at Pictured Rocks; we don’t have a lot of litter, especially on the back-country trails. Our system is in really good shape, but the volunteers help us keep it that way.”
Project orientation will be held Saturday, May 28 at 9 a.m. at Miners Castle in Munising.
You can still be involved, even if you’re away for the holiday weekend, by contacting Ron Jones or Susan Reece at (906) 387-2607 ext. 208.