Teens on Trails Month Impact Report
Teens on Trails Month has officially come to an end! All throughout February, our Programs team hosted youth-oriented events to encourage middle and high school students to get involved in trail stewardship. Events rotated throughout the county, and at each one, students learned about natural ecosystems, gave back to local trails, and made new friends with one another.
Our goal for this four-week event series was to introduce more youth to the magic of trails and inspire continued love and respect for our open spaces. Let’s take a look at some of February’s best moments.
Key Stats:
4 events
81 participants
Ages 11-18
264 hours of trail work completed
Trails impacted: University Connector Trail, Wilder Ranch Loop, Agua Puerca Loop, DeLaveaga Upper Loop Trail, Lower Redwood Loop Trail, La Corona Trail
Projects finished: Drains, brushing, rock armoring, invasive removal, retaining wall, fencing - lots of variety for returning participants
“Working with these teens has been one of the highlights of my career,” said Katie Teschler, Trail Stewardship Coordinator at SCMTS. “These students came from a wide range of backgrounds, and it was a treat to see their faces light up as they learned about how to care for local trails."
Many participants joined us for multiple events in the series. Rafael Moncloa, 15, enjoyed our first trail work event at U-Conn Trail so much that he joined us again for work in DeLaveaga Park. “It was a good experience to do community service that goes to something I'm passionate about,” he shared.
Oliver Willet, 15, also attended two Teens on Trails events. “The events that I attended at Cotoni and DeLaveaga were beautiful, productive, and I felt like I did my community a service," he said. Oliver also shared that these experiences were special because they were only for teengaged participants. Teens on Trails made him feel like he fit in with the outdoor community–a hugely important part of the work we do.
We’re glad to hear such positive feedback from our first-ever Teens on Trails Month! Thanks to your support, we got more kids outside and connected to nature. These teenagers will forever carry the lessons they learned during our trail work events, and bring them along on all future adventures. We hope to see Teens on Trails participants out on the trails and busy at volunteer events for years to come!
All photos by Christine La
