by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor
Nestled in the upper northwest section of Alabama, the Bankhead National Forest covers roughly 180,000 acres and provides plenty of bluffs, canyons, waterfalls, springs and lakes for its visitors.
The place also features numerous facilities for camping, picnicking, fishing, hiking and swimming throughout the area, and is one of four National Forests in Alabama.
Known as the land of a ‘thousand waterfalls’, the popular spot can encounter problems with discarded trash and other refuse from time to time. So, recently, 26 volunteers from the Rattlesnake Wranglers Jeep Club ventured into the park and spent time on a cleanup event.
In all, the group pulled cover 300 pounds of trash from a nearly 10-mile section. This ranged from paper and diapers to tires and broken television sets. Additionally, these volunteers were able to separate out 79 pounds of scrap aluminum to be recycled instead of ending up in a landfill.
“The Rattlesnake Wrangler Jeep Club often visits the forest to enjoy the scenic view along the many miles of forest service roads, hiking trails, and horseback trails,” said Rattlesnake Wrangler Jeep Club Project Coordinator Joshua Horton. “A lot of us have ties to this place, back to our childhood, where we would come to Kinlock Falls to swim during hot summer or hunt the area for food during the hunting seasons.
”The Rattlesnake Wranglers Jeep Club is proud to be a part of the Tread Lightly! volunteer team by helping to keep public lands open to the public to allow many more generations access to the beautiful lands Alabama and other states have to offer. We will continue to advocate for responsible use of trails and other public lands and spread the message of Tread Lightly! in our future endeavors.”
This Bankhead National Forest Cleanup project was the 40th of 50 trail and public land restoration events Quadratec will help sponsor in each state through the end of April 2024.
“A huge thank you to Quadratec for funding the supplies and planning to make this project part of the Quadratec 50 for 50 program,” said Tread Lightly! Southeast Program Manager Lowell Eckart. “And, thanks to Josh and the volunteers from the Rattlesnake Wrangler Jeep Club for being the boots on the ground to make this cleanup happen. The Rattlesnake Wrangler Jeep Club has been a great supporter of Tread Lightly! and it is through clubs and groups of volunteers like them that help us to Protect the Adventure for current and future users of our beautiful National Forest lands. Thanks for your great work!”
So far through its supported projects, the 50-for-50 Stewardship Grant has accumulated 6,777.50 volunteer hours with a total value of $204,313, pulled away 118,245 pounds of trash and improved 827 miles of trail.
Quadratec’s ’50-for-50’ stewardship grant fund helps project managers pay for equipment, fees, volunteer support, food, fuel, signage and other miscellaneous costs.
Quadratec has been a supporting partner of Tread Lightly! for more than 20 years, and a longtime fundraiser for Tread Lightly!’s stewardship programs. The company has also promoted Tread Lightly! and other trail restoration efforts through its Quadratec Cares ‘Energize the Environment’ program.
Clubs and individuals are required to be active, supporting members of Tread Lightly! to be eligible to apply for ’50-for-50’ grant funding. To learn more about the Quadratec ’50-for-50 program, visit Quadratec's 50 for 50 Trails Stewardship Grant Initiative.
Recommended Reading:
Quadratec, Tread Lightly! ’50-For-50’ Public Land Cleanup — Maggie Valley, North Carolina
