In May seven Junior members of the Millard Fillmore 4-H Club were asked to serve as consultants to the Owasco Flats Nature Reserve. Youth, afterall, add a unique perspective about trail use - especially when the question is "how can we make this trail and natural area more family friendly".The youth, grades 4th - 9th, hiked the loop trail and came up with several no-nonsense goals for the Owasco Flats Nature Reserve. The most basic of the responses included formalizing the trail. "How would someone know that this is a trail?" stated Brenna O'Brien as the group hiked the overgrown old railroad bed that parallels Rte 38. Club members also thought that a kiosk with information about the unique plants and animals in the area, and the history of the LeHigh Valley Railroad would be interesting, informative and would attract attention. They also suggested that signs near the water showing the common fish you can catch would be of interest to the fisherman. The other very common observation related to the overgrowth of poison ivy in the area. In many locations it was knee deep, and in all instances it is growing up the trees along the trail path. "There must be a way to get rid of poison ivy, other nature trails have to do it", commented Anna Carmichael, 11.
A couple of other very simple suggestions were offered: "The trail needs a litter clean up and signs to help people remember to clean this beautiful area up", commented Cara Carmichael, 10. Most of the trash found was left by fisherman using the area. Fishing line as well as bait containers and beverage bottles littered the Inlet side of the trail. And while the group counted more than 11 fire rings informally built by fisherman using the area, the youth thought that these areas could be formalized for safety and beautification. "If people are going to build fires here anyway, there should probably be fire pits where there is less of a chance of a forest fire", stated Brenna O'Brien, 11.
More sophisticated ideas were also suggested to enhance the use of this area by families. Club members suggested: a boardwalk over the muddy areas, and another boardwalk into the wetland area as a bird observatory, and occasional benches for watching the water and wildlife. And "If you really want to make this place fun for kids, you should add a forest playground, or swings to the parking area", added Summer MacAdam Gorham, 11. The youth also discussed the benefits of widening the trail for use by mountain bikes.
Club members appreciated being introduced to the scenic landscape and recreational trail offered by the Owasco Flats Nature Reserve. They really appreciated that their opinions were asked and that they were listened to. Since last May the Millard Fillmore 4-H Club has raised money to buy trail markers for the nature trail, helping to fix one of the problem areas that they saw. They have also taken a kayak/canoe trip up the Inlet and are committed this year to learning more about the history of the Owasco Flats and Cascade. No doubt, these youth are pleased to be partners in spreading the word about the gem that we have in this natural area.
