Summer Youth Trails Program
August 17, 2018
Video by Ben Gomez Villafane
Words & Photos by Guy Lasnier
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaOCRnfeM0I[/embed]
This year, the city has hired Jacob “Cob” Hyde, a trails specialist with Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz to lead the 10-member crew. Previously, the city staffed it with a maintenance worker from the parks and recreation department.
“They bring a great skill set,” said Meta Rhodeos, a city parks field supervisor, of the mountain bike advocacy and trail building group. Besides leadership and trail-building expertise, MBOSC provides tools and equipment.
“MBOSC has been more and more involved with the city's Summer Youth Trails Program every year since its inception,” said Matt De Young, MBOSC executive director. “The crew helped MBOSC staff construct the Harvey West Pumptrack in 2016. In 2017, the crew worked with MBOSC to construct a reroute of the badly eroded Ohlone Trail.
“Now this year, it made sense for MBOSC to partner with the city to manage the crew to provide the best possible training and enrichment for the participants,” De Young said. “It has been great so far and we look forward to continuing this partnership in years to come."
Joining Hyde is Agnes Rehr-Zimmermann, whom the city hired to bring an environmental education component to the team in addition to her solid trail work. Rehr-Zimmermann is set to graduate from Oregon State University at the end of summer with degrees in Recreational Resource Management and Spanish.
“She’s the educational compass,” says Rhodeos. Rehr-Zimmermann brings a 5-gallon bucket filled with bird and plant guides and other nature books to share with the student workers. “I talk about the environmental aspect of their work, mix in some John Muir and wilderness appreciation,” she says.
The program is a City Council initiative funded through the city manager’s office, Rhodeos said. The idea was to provide jobs to enhance students’ work experience, teach new resource management skills, improve their knowledge of the city and assist the parks and recreation department by improving city trails
Since June, the crew has rerouted a trail and rebuilt a bridge in Wagner Grove above Harvey West and repaired damaged trails in Arana Gulch.
A recent July afternoon found them finishing off a section of the Arana Gulch loop trail. A length of rock-lined steps now replaces the eroded footpath from the south end of the meadow down toward the upper harbor.
Charlie Thompson likes how hikers are always telling the crew “how much they love our work.” Thompson, 18, now in his third season, is the veteran of the group. He leaves his Boulder Creek home at 7 a.m. to get to the work site.
“It’s really great working outside, even at $11.46 an hour,” Thompson says.
“It’s not about the money,” offers Aidan Dawn, 19, who just graduated from Soquel High. Dawn has ridden mountain bikes for much of his life and previously volunteered on several MBOSC “Dig Days.”
“I figured I did a lot of volunteering, it seemed cool to get paid,” said Dawn. “We’re here supporting the community.”
Joe Clark, 17, will be a senior at Ponderosa High School and Career Training Center in Ben Lomond. He likes hard work and working with his hands. Keeps him away from the party life, he says. Earlier this year Clark volunteered on a trail-building project in Pogonip with his school, the city, and MBOSC. He had considered the summer trails program last year and told himself: “This year I’m going to do it!”
Abdoulaye Sow, 15, will be a junior at Scotts Valley High School. He worked on the crew last year, too. “I like working with my hands and building something that will last,” he said.
Thompson recalls the Ohlone Trail reroute last year, walking the area when it was wilderness, then watching as it become transformed, first with little flags marking the new route, then actually building the trail.
He’s returned several times. “I’ve gone back and walked the trail,” he said, remembering, “I did this, built these switchbacks, placed those rocks, removed that bees’ nest.
“It’s cool seeing it turn into a public-use trail.”
After lunch at Arana Gulch, the Switchback Boys put the final touches on their work for the day, pack up their tools and get ready for a Friday afternoon hike that Rehr-Zimmermann will lead.
Before the summer is over, the crew will move on to other city trails including Emma McCrary Trail in Pogonip.
Summer Youth Trails Program Builds Experience, Awareness, and Oh Yeah, Trails!
They call themselves the “Switchback Boys.” A year ago they were known as “Boys an’ Oak.” Now in its fifth season, the Santa Cruz Summer Youth Trails Program brings together a crew of high school students to rebuild, restore, and renovate hiking and mountain biking trails in city parks and open spaces. The students get paid summer jobs, outdoor work experience and an increased awareness of environmental issues. Though women have participated in earlier years, the crews have been all male the past two years.This year, the city has hired Jacob “Cob” Hyde, a trails specialist with Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz to lead the 10-member crew. Previously, the city staffed it with a maintenance worker from the parks and recreation department.
“They bring a great skill set,” said Meta Rhodeos, a city parks field supervisor, of the mountain bike advocacy and trail building group. Besides leadership and trail-building expertise, MBOSC provides tools and equipment.
“MBOSC has been more and more involved with the city's Summer Youth Trails Program every year since its inception,” said Matt De Young, MBOSC executive director. “The crew helped MBOSC staff construct the Harvey West Pumptrack in 2016. In 2017, the crew worked with MBOSC to construct a reroute of the badly eroded Ohlone Trail.
“Now this year, it made sense for MBOSC to partner with the city to manage the crew to provide the best possible training and enrichment for the participants,” De Young said. “It has been great so far and we look forward to continuing this partnership in years to come."
Joining Hyde is Agnes Rehr-Zimmermann, whom the city hired to bring an environmental education component to the team in addition to her solid trail work. Rehr-Zimmermann is set to graduate from Oregon State University at the end of summer with degrees in Recreational Resource Management and Spanish.
“She’s the educational compass,” says Rhodeos. Rehr-Zimmermann brings a 5-gallon bucket filled with bird and plant guides and other nature books to share with the student workers. “I talk about the environmental aspect of their work, mix in some John Muir and wilderness appreciation,” she says.
The program is a City Council initiative funded through the city manager’s office, Rhodeos said. The idea was to provide jobs to enhance students’ work experience, teach new resource management skills, improve their knowledge of the city and assist the parks and recreation department by improving city trails
Since June, the crew has rerouted a trail and rebuilt a bridge in Wagner Grove above Harvey West and repaired damaged trails in Arana Gulch.
A recent July afternoon found them finishing off a section of the Arana Gulch loop trail. A length of rock-lined steps now replaces the eroded footpath from the south end of the meadow down toward the upper harbor.
Charlie Thompson likes how hikers are always telling the crew “how much they love our work.” Thompson, 18, now in his third season, is the veteran of the group. He leaves his Boulder Creek home at 7 a.m. to get to the work site.
“It’s really great working outside, even at $11.46 an hour,” Thompson says.
“It’s not about the money,” offers Aidan Dawn, 19, who just graduated from Soquel High. Dawn has ridden mountain bikes for much of his life and previously volunteered on several MBOSC “Dig Days.”
“I figured I did a lot of volunteering, it seemed cool to get paid,” said Dawn. “We’re here supporting the community.”
Joe Clark, 17, will be a senior at Ponderosa High School and Career Training Center in Ben Lomond. He likes hard work and working with his hands. Keeps him away from the party life, he says. Earlier this year Clark volunteered on a trail-building project in Pogonip with his school, the city, and MBOSC. He had considered the summer trails program last year and told himself: “This year I’m going to do it!”
Abdoulaye Sow, 15, will be a junior at Scotts Valley High School. He worked on the crew last year, too. “I like working with my hands and building something that will last,” he said.
Thompson recalls the Ohlone Trail reroute last year, walking the area when it was wilderness, then watching as it become transformed, first with little flags marking the new route, then actually building the trail.
He’s returned several times. “I’ve gone back and walked the trail,” he said, remembering, “I did this, built these switchbacks, placed those rocks, removed that bees’ nest.
“It’s cool seeing it turn into a public-use trail.”
After lunch at Arana Gulch, the Switchback Boys put the final touches on their work for the day, pack up their tools and get ready for a Friday afternoon hike that Rehr-Zimmermann will lead.
Before the summer is over, the crew will move on to other city trails including Emma McCrary Trail in Pogonip.
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