NATIONAL TRAILS DAY....a really useful effort

The route of the Rivanna Trail is roughly defined by the outer boundary of the City of Char-lottesville. Another way of looking at it is as four unequal sections that lie between the arms of the X created by the crossing of the Southern and C&O railroad tracks. In June we finished the southwestern quadrant by busting-in a new trail from Fontaine Avenue (Rt 29S) to the underpass on Stribling Avenue. The law of large numbers was the organizing principle. We now have sufficient tools to arm upwards of one hundred and fifty volunteers. We don't go for military analogies, but the forest was conquered with troops both fresh and stooped just as Stonewall Jackson ruled the Valley with farm bred recruits. We seem to get better organized each year and are able to translate the volunteer's time into useful labor. A sense of accomplishment is our best paycheck to the workers. Significantly, we broke another barrier this year with the masterful Art Kiser, a male, being in total charge of the food and Diana Foster, a female, overseeing the trail work. Both hit the mark.

A GROWING TRAIL SYSTEM…. good news, updates & challenges

• We now have a pretty reliable system of maintenance through a chain of section monitors. If you have problems to report or want to a trail boss or hand, call the virtual office at 923-9022 anytime.
• Thanks to the Federal Executive Institute, we will soon able to establish a woodlands link between the UVa's North Grounds and Meadowcreek trail across Emmet Street behind Bodo's.
• The City of Charlottesville has purchased for permanent park protection the trail path, 12 acres of mature hardwoods and creek front parallel to Brandywine Drive leading into Greenbrier Park.
• The trail system will be coming out of the woods in the next several weeks as we install thirty-some handsome signs at roadside trailheads around town. We hope they will signal the con-tinuous nature of the Rivanna Trail around the community.
• Under Sally Thomas's leadership, Albemarle County has established a greenway studies committee. This will involve citizens and staff from Albemarle and Charlottesville in an effort to realize the potential for a green future in an ever-changing environment.

SECOND SATURDAYS....a continuing force

We are celebrating four full years of planned gang effort. We have interesting and substantial projects scheduled that will visit all the major compass points in the encircling of the City. Summertime is best when you can get wet, so we are going to the water to install some rock and first-for-us gabion crossings. We meet the second Saturday of each month from 9:00-12:00. We have tools, but bring shears or clippers, if you have them. We rally at the trailhead on Melbourne Road just east of the CHS foot-ball field and caravan to the work site. It you want to go directly to the project or have questions, call the workday leader at the number listed on the schedule.

RIVANNA TRAILS FOUNDATION
Footpaths encircling Charlottesville

For More Information Contact:

Rivanna Trails Foundation
P.O. Box 1786, Charlottesville, VA 22902 
Tel: 804-923-9022
Internet: johnc@justice4all.org

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