Chase Brown Chase Brown (left) and Tom Brown of the Boothbay Region Elementary School cross-country team would like help fixing the cross-country trail at BRES on Saturday, Nov. 10. Contact Lauren Brown at BRES at 633-5097 to volunteer. (Photo John Edwards)

Lauren Brown, Boothay Region Elementary School physical education instructor, wanted to create a trail through the woods behind the school. Brown envisioned a path where students could snowshoe and hike, and where BRES and BRHS cross-country teams could practice and compete. Under the direction of retired landscape architect Mal Thomas, and with the help of parent and student volunteers, a simple trail was created in 2002. In 2005, BRHS student Devon Mellor, as part of his Eagle Scout project, engaged more local volunteers to improve the trail by removing rocks and stumps. Now, to make the trail even more usable for cross- country teams, Brown and Thomas are planning another trail improvement day for Saturday, November 10. They need your help.

Brown's vision of a simple woodland trail for students has resulted in a real asset for the school. Brown routinely takes her PE classes on the trail to run, hike and even snowshoe. She notes that for some of her younger students, it may be the first time they have been hiking in the woods. Thomas points out that the trail not only provides an exercise course, it also provides an opportunity for students to spend time in nature. Classroom teachers use the woodland pathway for nature study. The path's link to the Boothbay Region Land Trust's Penny Lake Trail expands on the opportunity to connect with nature. In its current state, the trail serves the purpose of a nature path admirably. But for cross-country teams, it needs work.

Cross-country coaches Hildy Johnson (BRES) and Nicholas Scott (BRHS) agree that the trail has been a real boon for their teams, but that it needs improvement. Both teams use the trail on a consistent basis during the fall for practice and for the yearly home meet. Says Johnson, "Nick and I work on it before our home meets a bit, but it can stand some `bigger, more people' improvements. The away teams like the trail and comment on how nice it is ... and the local kids love to run on it ... but with the use, it could stand to have some roots dug up and fill brought in and be widened a bit."

Scott concurs, "Oftentimes our home meet will consist of up to five or six teams and around 60-70 runners in each race. It is really important to work on improving the course because in its current state it is quite rough and not really suitable for large numbers of people to run over. There are a great many stumps, roots, and big holes, which stand as potential ankle twisters when running quickly over the terrain."

Both coaches hope that with improvement the trail will be better suited, and safer, for higher intensity workouts.

The trail improvement day will take place on Saturday, November 10 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The rain date will be Saturday, November 17. Brown already has some volunteers and equipment lined up, but needs more. Dan Alley is donating a truckload of gravel to help grade the trail. Brown hopes that others in the community will come forward to donate equipment, such as a small excavator, wheelbarrows, shovels and garden rakes, and their time to this project.

Anyone who would like to donate their time or equipment to this project can obtain more information by contacting Brown at BRES at 633-5097. Since it is hunting season, she also reminds all volunteers to wear hunter orange on trail day.