by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor
Not all trail cleanup projects have to involve motorized access. In fact, there are plenty of hiking trails around that have seen their share of abuse over the years — whether from people wandering off the trail and into protected vegetation, or simply tossing trash into the weeds with little care.
So while Quadratec’s 50-for-50 Trail Improvement Grant Program does assist with numerous 4x4 trail cleanup events, it also can help groups who seek to enhance other types of public land as well.
Take Ohio, and its ultra-popular Hocking Hills State Park.
This area is annually thought of as Ohio’s top tourist attraction, and Forbes Magazine called it as a 'Top Place to Travel in 2023.
But we all know what happens with areas that have high amounts of tourists.
Trash.
Recently, volunteers from Discover 4x4 Adventures, Hocking Hills Tourism Association and Hocking Hills Podcast ventured out on the Hocking Hills Jeep Run Trail to perform a cleanup event for that highly trafficked area.
Eight volunteers spent time removing garbage from over six trail miles, as well as picking up animal waste, diapers and other refuse from the trail that people just haphazardly tossed away.
“The Hocking Hills area is Ohio’s number one tourist attraction and although it wasn’t motorsports related, (the recent) cleanup was in collaboration with the Hocking Hills Jeep Run and a great stepping stone for building a relationship with the ODNR,” said Discover 4x4 Adventures Owner Keri Porter. “The participants in our cleanup were troopers. Together we hiked a strenuous 6-mile loop picking up trash along the way. While our garbage bags didn’t weigh much, we collected many plastic bottles, diapers and doggie waste bags. Everyone made the best of a rather poopy situation.”
In all, the group removed 335 pounds of trash from the Hocking Hills environment and helped spruce up the trail for future hikers.
“Big thanks to Hocking Hills State Park for agreeing to host our 50 for 50 Ohio project during the Hocking Hills Jeep Run, and also to our other partners in the project,” said Tread Lightly! Northeast Program Manager Scott Ammerman. “Keri Porter did an exceptional job managing the volunteers and making a big difference in a place where we don’t often work. We are looking forward to a return to Hocking Hills in the future.”
This Hocking Hills Jeep Run Trail Cleanup project was the 36th 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 6,336.50 volunteer hours with a total value of $190,289, pulled away 117,055 pounds of trash and improved 792 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
