The trails in the Binghamton University’s Nature Preserve are in distress, and students, faculty and community residents are doing what they can to combat erosion.
Nature Preserve caretakers and volunteers will head to the Nature Preserve at 1 p.m. Saturday, and again at the same time on April 24, for the Big Spring Trail Day, to prepare the area for spring.
The two-part maintenance project is one of two major events held at BU every year to control and prevent erosion.
The preserve’s 182 acres have remained forested and unaltered since 1969. Although most of the area is not for walking, the land that is designated for trails needs constant maintenance.
‘We try to do everything manually,’ Dylan Horvath, steward of Natural Areas, said. ‘Although it is more labor intensive, people meet others with similar interests while saving gas and energy.’
One of the events scheduled for Saturday is the placement of wood chips. Participants will be laying wood chips on the main trails, such as at the entrance of the Marsh Trail and through the wooded area surrounding College-in-the-Woods. Other jobs include leveling trails, removing fallen trees from trails, building boardwalks and digging water bars.
‘This is all in the name of trying to slow down erosion,’ Horvath said. ‘It’s one of the reasons we don’t allow biking; people’s feet do enough damage.’
Along with an open area for people, the preserve is also a habitat for many different species of animals. According to Horvath, the preserve is home to approximately six species of salamanders, five species of frogs and toads, two species of turtles and six species of snakes. It also houses 206 species of birds and numerous mammals, including deer, possums and raccoons.
‘We manipulate the environment, creating a diversity of habitats for as many animals as we can,’ Horvath said.
Richard Andrus, associate professor of environmental studies, said maintenance of the preserve has improved under the supervision of the caretakers and is better than it used to be when it was solely taken care of by volunteers.
‘It [the preserve] is a virtually priceless resource,’ Andrus said. ‘If it isn’t taken care of, it will deteriorate and be abused.’
Students from the local Binghamton area visit the preserve throughout the year, guided by volunteers and caretakers at BU.
‘We are always looking for volunteers, especially now,’ Horvath said.
Tours and hikes through the preserve are offered frequently and advertised through the Nature Preserve listserv.
Although professors and locals often bring their own tools to the Big Spring Trail Day, tools will be provided by caretakers and Physical Facilities. Volunteers can meet the caretakers at the top of Parking Lot M.