Middlesex Fells Reservation

National Trails Day

June 4, 2005

Greater Boston NEMBA & Boston Hikes

On Saturday, June 4, 2005, Greater Boston NEMBA partnered with Boston Hiking Club to organize a service project at the Middlesex Fells for National Trails Day. The Boston Hiking Clubis a web-based organization of approximately 400 enthusiastic hikers. They were very interested in doing a service project at the Middlesex Fells Reservation for National Trails Day but didn't have the resources to plan the project or oversee the event. The club contacted NEMBA and asked for assistance with planning and supervision of the event.

NEMBA is a regional organization of approximately 4,500 members and has earned a reputation for becoming the areas leading experts in trail maintenance, design and construction. NEMBA's president Tom Grimble and project manager Craig Rowe met with the Boston Hiking Club's Project Coordinator Mandy Tam to select an appropriate worksite. A section of the Orange Trail in Medford was selected because it had several muddy sections and has not been maintained or improved in a very long time. The bulk of the project was to re-route a section of trail that was immediately adjacent to a small stream. According to Craig Rowe, "the trail was located right next to the stream which is real problem". Rowe went on to add "the trail was perpetually muddy and runoff from the trail was causing siltation in the stream". The new trail is located much further away from the stream, is substantially higher, and is almost entirely built on a slab of granite which protrudes from the ground. According to Mr. Rowe "the new trail will last a lot longer and will not have a negative impact on the stream".

National Trails Day is organized by the American Hiking Society to bring together all trail users and share their love for the outdoors. --Tom Grimble, NEMBA Fells Coordinator

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