When Parks & Trails New York’s former Arthur Savage Intern and RPI student Aimee Beaudette learned that a segment of Champlain Canalway Trail needed an adopter it didn’t take much to get a dedicated group of volunteer trail adopters to join her.
When Parks & Trails New York’s former Arthur Savage Intern and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student Aimee Beaudette learned that a segment of Champlain Canalway Trail needed an adopter it didn’t take much to get a dedicated group of volunteer trail adopters to join her. Aimee is a member of Alpha Phi Omega (APO), an international fraternity that includes young men and women who want to regularly perform community service projects throughout their college career.
According to Aimee, most people consider adopting highways, but because of her interest in trails (Aimee recently became an Adirondack 46er), she wanted to take a different approach and ensure that her group had a lasting impact on a local trail. That was easy as RPI is located in Troy just a few miles from the Champlain Canalway Trail.
The APO group made their debut as trail adopters during the 10th annual Canal Clean Sweep this past April when Aimee and three other volunteers picked up trash and debris along their one-mile adopted segment. In addition to their Clean Sweep participation, the group plans on hosting clean up events during the school year.
Aimee graduated in May and plans on pursuing a graduate degree in conservation and wetland management. This, coupled with her Adopt-a-Trail experience along the Champlain Canalway Trail, will ensure that she leaves a lasting positive impact on the environment.
The Champlain Canalway Trail is currently 15 miles long and about 25% percent complete. It is part of the larger 524-mile New York State Canalway Trail System. More than 50 groups have adopted segments of the entire system. Go to PTNY’s website to check out which sections of trail are available near you and learn more about how you can participate in the Canalway Trail Adopt-a-Trail program.
Canalway Trail Times 