Trail Transformations: Volunteers Get to Know Zebedee and Beyond

September 6, 2013
Anna Slack, Programs Coordinator

This time of year makes me think about transitions.  Birds migrate toward wintering grounds, leaves begin to change, daylight shortens and nights come with frosted edges, students return to school.  At UVLT, we’re preparing for winter trail use and planning for the seasonal closure of our paddler’s campsites on Columbus Day weekend.

At this time last year we were also creating the Linny Levin Memorial Trail at the Zebedee Wetlands in Thetford!  For many years the Wetland has been an outdoor classroom for the Thetford Elementary School’s Second Grade and a much-loved walking trail for the community.  When the land was threatened with development a few years ago the Elementary School students and the community raised money to help UVLT purchase the property.

Last year the Second Grade students helped with the Linny Levin Memorial Trail by painting trail markers of native plants and animals.   Numerous volunteers from the community and beyond pitched in to complete the trail work and nearly one hundred friends joined together to celebrate the memory of the trail’s namesake, nature enthusiast and teacher, Linny Levin.

This year incoming freshmen from Dartmouth College headed out to the popular spot to reinforce and adjust last year’s work.  They are part of a larger group of returning students who each made the decision to volunteer in local businesses and non-profits as part of the Tucker Foundation’s Service Orientation program.  They got to know the trail, followed the signs painted by last year’s Second Graders, and completed the Zebedee Valley Quest.  In turn, their efforts will enhance the experience of all who choose to use Linny’s trail.

To me it is pretty neat that this group of students chose to spend part of their transition into college getting to know the Upper Valley by participating in volunteer work.

Want to visit the trail?  A map and information about the Linny Levin Memorial Trail can be found here.   A copy of the Valley Quest can be downloaded and printed here.

You can also view more images of the student volunteers on our Facebook page!