It has been quite an eventful summer season for SCA crews! From clearing trails in the Atlanta area to rebuilding bridges in Washington, DC, SCA members helped protect parks and public lands across the country. Here are six snapshots of the amazing work they accomplished!
1. Arabia Mountain Crew – Georgia
Five SCA interns from Atlanta-area high schools cleared trails, removed invasive species, cleaned up picnic areas, picked up litter, all while learning about the nature, history, and culture of the National Heritage Area.
2. SCA Idaho AmericCorps – Idaho
Members of this crew gain outdoor leadership experience and training in a variety of land management facets, including front country and backcountry trail work, historic preservation, fuels reduction, wildlife habitat assessments, and more.
3. Riverdale Summer High School Crew – New York
Sustainable trail work in action! This crew is cleaning and maintaining water bars and check steps, which were originally built by an SCA crew a few years back. This maintenance helps keep water off trails to prevent erosion.
4. Rock Creek Park, Battery Kemble Crew – Washington, DC
The main project focus of this crew during their 10-week service is the removal of a deteriorated bridge and building a new 30 ft bridge to provide easier and safer access for trail users.
5. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Crew – Illinois
In this photo the crew is laying down tarps to snuff out invasive grasses. This method is best used since herbicide may affect non-targeted plants.
6. Cleveland Metroparks Community Crew – Ohio
This crew is working on a trail closure/forest restoration project. First they move logs and sticks into the trailway to block it off, and then spread annual ryegrass seed over the path, which allows the ground to heal and other understory plants to seed in that area.