Preserving the Fieldale Iron Bridge: Part II

It's Just Around the Corner...

The Dick & Willie Passage is going to be here before we know it! Next spring residents and visitors will be able to enjoy 4.5 miles of paved trail passing through Martinsville and Henry County.

This month crews are working to remove the railroad tracks from the old Danville-Western Line known as the Dick & Willie Railroad. Large trucks are cutting the tracks and dragging them out in 1,000 foot segments so that they may be reused in other areas. Listen to the screech of metal on metal as the tracks gently glide away!

Ready to go for a walk?

Volunteers Enhance Area Trails

The Adopt-a-Trail volunteer group “Friends of the Fieldale Trail” includes: first row Molly; second row (l-r) Paula Wyatt, Beth Wyatt, Nancy Kennett; third row (l-r) Tracy Kennett, Tommy Wyatt, Benny Setliff, Chris Wyatt.

Take a walk along the Fieldale Trail in Fieldale, Virginia most any day of the week and you’re sure to see the smiling faces of a very special group of volunteers known as “Friends of the Fieldale Trail.” This group is part of the Smith River Trail System’s Adopt-a-Trail Program developed by the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA).

The purpose of the Adopt-a-Trail Program is to provide opportunities for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians to assist DRBA in supporting Henry County Virginia Parks and Recreation and Eden North Carolina Parks & Recreation by coordinating volunteer activities to monitor, maintain and enhance trails and trailhead facilities along the Smith River Trail System. Roger Adams, Director of Henry County Parks and Recreation, said that volunteers “are a vital part of the maintenance of the trail system, especially as we continue to add additional trails.”

The “Friends” group has enhanced the Fieldale Trail by building and installing bluebird boxes, establishing a recycling program on the trail, picking up litter, and hosting volunteer workdays. The group is led by team captain Paula Wyatt, and includes her husband Tommy, children Beth and Chris, along with close friends Tracy & Nancy Kennett, and Benny & Pam Setliff. According to the Wyatts, the group wants “to obtain sponsorship through area animal shelters and stores” to help buy supplies for the group’s next project that will include installing “dropping bags and containers” throughout the trail for pet owners that enjoy walking their pets on the trail.

On the second Sunday in August at 2:00 p.m., the “Friends” group will be meeting to work on the lower half of the Fieldale trail, and the next volunteer workday will be the second weekend in September. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend!

At a recent volunteer event the group, in coordination with DRBA, opened up an additional 1,700 feet of trail for walkers and cyclists to enjoy. Jennifer Doss of DRBA serves as the Adopt-a-Trail coordinator and helps place families and groups with sections of trail in need of adoption. “The Friends of the Fieldale Trail has shown so much enthusiasm and they really stand out as ambassadors for the Fieldale Trail”, says Doss.

On the other side of Henry County, another group of volunteers is busily working on trails. The Gardner Family (shown at right) of Martinsville spends their time volunteering at the Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve in Ridgeway. Team captain, Martin Gardner works alongside his son Jackson as they help to extend the Rhododendron Trail located on the preserve’s property. According to Doss, this extension of the trail will provide “one mile of river front walking trail that guides visitors through a living tunnel of Rhododendron bushes”.

Through the hard work and dedication of these groups and individuals, Henry County’s trails have been maintained to their highest standards and will continue to expand and prosper. However, we can never have too many volunteers! School and youth groups, scout troops, church, community and service organizations, businesses, families, individuals or groups of individuals can adopt a trail. Anyone with an interest in trails and the outdoors is welcome to help preserve our land and provide safe, enjoyable access to the outdoors. To learn more about becoming involved with “Friends of the Fieldale Trail,” contact Tommy and Paula Wyatt at 276-647-3274. For more information on the Adopt-a-Trail program or to register as a volunteer, contact Jennifer Doss at 276-634-2545 or jdoss@danriver.org

Article by: Jennifer Doss and Jordan Martin
Photo submitted by: Paula Wyatt

Learn to Kayak

Summer is here and it's the perfect time to get out on the water. The Smith River, Beaver Creek Reservoir, and Philpott Lake are all excellent places to paddle in the Martinsville & Henry County area. We urge that everyone uses their good judgement and practice safe paddling skills while enjoying the river.

To learn how to paddle or improve your skills, please join Eric Juday of the American Canoe Association as he presents beginner and intermediate kayaking classes this July.

The Beginner class will be held on July 25th from 12-4pm at Beaver Creek Reservoir. The course fee is $40 and includes all equipment. No prior experience is required for this class.

The Intermediate class will be held on July 26th from 8am -3pm at the Smith River in Ridgeway. The course fee is $55. Prior paddling experience is required to take this course.

Deadline to register for the classes is July 15th. Contact drba.va@danriver.org or 276-634-2545 to register. Class Sponsored by: Dan River Basin Association, Henry County Parks & Recreation, and Martinsville Leisure Services.

Greetings From Camp!

Dan River Basin Association volunteers and staff recently visited the W.E. Skelton 4H Center at Smith Mountain Lake to teach Environmental Science to Martinsville and Henry County youth attending camp. Through various activities, the 4H campers learned about watersheds and how their actions can help or hurt the environment. They performed a skit about protecting the Smith River to learn the importance of streamside trees and ways to reduce pollution such as using environmentally friendly fertilizers on lawns. The campers discovered macroinvertebrates, small aquatic creatures like crayfish, snails, and mayfly larvae that can help determine water quality and also performed tests on water samples. To see a video from camp click here.

These activities helped the youth gain a better appreciation of their local watershed and how to help protect it so that they, as well as future generations, will have clean water to drink, swim, and fish in. The Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) strives to preserve and promote the natural and cultural resources of the Dan River basin through education, recreation, and stewardship. DRBA's programs in the Martinsville and Henry County area are funded by a grant from the Harvest Foundation.

To schedule programs such as "Stream: The Movie" or "Tub-o-Bugs" for your group or to learn how you can become a certified stream monitor, please contact drba.va@danriver.org.

Laurel Park Parents Surveyed for Safe Routes to School

Activate Martinsville/Henry County hosted an awards ceremony on Tuesday, June 2, at Laurel Park Middle School to present new bicycles to six students who won them in an Activate drawing. The prize of a new bicycle was an incentive for parents to complete a survey on the newly introduced Safe Routes to School program. The surveys provided important information about community opinion towards children either walking or biking to school. In partnership with the National Center for Safe Routes to School, Activate will submit the findings of the completed surveys to a national database as well as utilize the results to build an application for a Safe Routes to School grant through SAFETEA-LU.

Six bike winners were chosen on Tuesday with two recipients from each grade level. The winners were Cesar Vasquez and Paisley Witcher for the sixth grade, Danielle Painter and Jalen Hodge for the seventh grade, and Danté Hairston and Shineice Wells for the eighth grade. In addition to students, parents, and the Activate staff, Laurel Park Middle School’s Assistant Principal Brandt Gerhardt and Physical Education teachers Patrick Mills and Melissa Carroll supported the awards ceremony on Tuesday.

Activate is currently investigating the attitudes toward the implementation of a Safe Routes to School Program at two local schools including Martinsville Middle School and Laurel Park Middle School.

The National Center for Safe Routes to School designed the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program not only to encourage physical activity among the nation’s youth, but also to preserve the environmental sustainability of local areas by reducing automobile use and traffic congestion. The main goal of the program is to simultaneously enhance the livability of an area and promote a healthy and safe way for children to get to school. “SRTS” is a federal-aid program of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA),” said Jeannie Frisco, Program Manager for Activate Martinsville Henry County. “It is fully funded by federal grants and does not require any additional local funding.” Over $612 million have been awarded thus far to local and state organizations to fund initiatives of SRTS.

Albert Harris Elementary Hosts WalkUp Wednesday

Students, staff and parents enjoyed the fresh air on a beautiful sunny Wednesday morning as they walked to Albert Harris Elementary. Natasha Rowell, Principal for Albert Harris Elementary has taken International Walk to School Day one step further in hopes of getting children more active. Walking school buses are coordinated each quarter by Ms. Rowell and her whole school gets involved. Students are dropped off approximately 1/2 mile from the school and are escorted by volunteers, parents and school staff as they walk down Smith Street to the office entrance of Albert Harris Elementary.

Activate staff and volunteers were on hand to greet over 650 participants and distribute strawberries smoothies as a reward for making that last climb up the hill to the front office. This was quite a treat for the students and staff. Healthy smoothies were a new experience for some students and staff who were surprised that it contained low fat yogurt and milk and fresh strawberries.

Way to go Natasha Rowell and Albert Harris Elementary staff! Together with one small step at a time we will combat obesity, change behavior and most importantly.....HAVE FUN DOING IT!