Transforming Trexler, The Morning Call, 2011

Excerpted from the Morning Call, July 16, 2011
Complete article here

Volunteers have played a huge role in the preserve's improvements by clearing miles of trails, many of which were covered with autumn olive. The invasive ground cover was planted decades ago to create habitat for game.

During the last two years, Valley Mountain Bikers, a 150-member advocacy group for the sport of mountain biking, put about 1,000 hours of work into building five miles of mountain biking trails, said Scott Stortz, the group's president. Equestrians helped clear horseback riding trails. And hiking trails were cleared by volunteers, Boy Scouts, county personnel and forest firefighters from Whitehall Township and Germansville.

Stortz said the preserve's new mountain biking trails are a hit with members. "The trails are good for beginners and experts. They are hilly, but the trail surface is smooth. And most other trails in the Lehigh Valley are very rocky," he said.

Valley Mountain Bikers is working with the county and Wildlands Conservancy in developing five more miles of trails in the preserve, but volunteers will be needed to cut through the terrain, Stortz said.

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