Volunteers Sought for Bethany Trail System Work Day

BETHANY, W.Va. – Bethany College is seeking outdoor enthusiasts to volunteer for its Trail System work day from 8:30 a.m. to noon Sunday, Sept. 15.

The Bethany Trail System includes a waterfall, numerous hiking spots, and an outdoor classroom.

Planned projects include brush cleaning, trail restoration, rubbish removal, and outdoor classroom repair. Volunteers are encouraged to wear work attire, preferably long pants and sturdy shoes or boots. Water, bug spray, gloves, and tools will be provided.

Register at here. Volunteers who register in advance will receive a free T-shirt.

The four miles of Bethany Trails, consisting of five interconnected trails, are used by hundreds of people every year – by students, college classes, summer camps, the Bethany community, and visitors from across the entire region.

The Bethany Trail System is an asset of the Parkinson Forest, which was deeded to the College in 1914. When Margaret Parkinson had the ingenious idea to donate the forest to Bethany College under the stipulation that it was to remain in its natural state, little did she know she was acting as conservationist way before a time of industrial revolution and mass pollution.

In her will, she specifically states that “this timberland be kept as a protest against the wasteful destruction of our timber [so that] succeeding generations may know something of what the forest lands in this part of the country once were.”

The Parkinson Forest is a mature, Old Growth Forest – one of the few still in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. When hiking the Bethany Trail System you may encounter a clever red fox, a wildcat, or share a path with some of the many deer that have inhabited the forest for generations. Birds are the most distinctive and diverse wildlife thriving along the Bethany Trails. The area features two dozen species, including the Scarlet Tanager, the rose-colored Crested Grosbeak, the Red-eyed Vireo, and the commonly seen wild turkey.

For more information about the Bethany Trail System work day, email Hunter Tenney at [obfuscate_btn]dtenney@bethanywv.edu[/obfuscate_btn].

ABOUT BETHANY COLLEGE

Founded in 1840, Bethany is the oldest private college in West Virginia. The Bethany experience focuses on academic excellence in the area of the liberal arts and prepares students for a lifetime of work and a life of significance.