by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor
Since its 1933 inception, the 1.5 million acre Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Northern Wisconsin annually draws thousands to the area for a chance to relax and enjoy nature.
The park is well known for all kinds of recreation like camping, hiking, fishing, swimming, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, but it is also home to numerous flora, fauna and fungi.
And like countless other spots across the country, it is also home to plenty of trash left over from all these visitors.
So to combat this, members of Northology Adventures, Wisconsin Overland and Wisconsin Jeep Owners met up recently for a cleanup project thanks to a Quadratec 50-for-50 Trail Initiative Grant.
Twelve volunteers worked on several dump sites in the forest areas stretching from Crandon to Mountain, Wisconsin. Despite challenging conditions and the distance involved, these volunteers managed to recover a discarded trailer full of trash, an illegal hunting blind, mattresses, furniture, car and boat parts, as well as cans, bottles and other household trash.
”The amount of garbage in the woods made me very sad, but seeing all the volunteers who cared enough to come help clean it up filled my cup,” said project volunteer Christina Goodwin.
In all, the volunteers combined to fill an entire 20-yard dumpster with over three tons of trash, along with a dozen old tires.
“Tread Lightly! and Quadratec have done a lot of great work together on the 50 for 50 Initiative since last April, but projects like this one in Wisconsin where we don’t have staff nearby are only possible with organizations like Northology and individuals like Cindy Pope taking the initiative to get volunteers together to make a difference,” said Tread Lightly! Northeast Program Manager Scott Ammerman. “We can’t thank them enough for their help in service to public lands.”
This Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Cleanup project was the 35th of 50 trail and public land restoration events Quadratec will help sponsor in each state by April 2024.
So far through its supported projects, the 50-for-50 Stewardship Grant has accumulated 6,296.50 volunteer hours with a total value of $189,017, pulled away 116,720 pounds of trash and improved 786 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
Quadratec's 50 State, 50 Trail Stewardship Initiative Reaches Halfway Mark
