December 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 19

first responders to rapidly deploy
emergency response teams.
These veterans groups help Five
Valleys Land Trust complete its
stewardship goals, while connecting the veterans to the land, to each
other and to the community. Team
RWB hand-piled all the brush from
felled trees to reduce forest fire
danger, and Team Rubicon cleared
downed trees and thinned standing
timber to improve forest health.
" Partnering with veterans groups
has been a win-win for everybody.
Conservation lands provide the
perfect space for veterans to apply their skills while completing
much-needed stewardship work
on the land, " says Amber Sherrill,
executive director of Five Valleys
Land Trust.
This stewardship work provides
crews with the opportunity to improve their chainsaw techniques
through their Emergency Response
Saw Training programs. The experience allows for training needed to
effectively respond to natural disasters around the country. Beyond disaster relief, partnerships with veterans can help them find a renewed
sense of purpose when they return
to civilian life.
John Lind of Team Rubicon
adds: " Working with the land gives
many veterans a purpose. They can
be part of their community. "

Anderson Woods
Nature Preserve
When the Anderson Woods Nature Preserve opened near Lake
Michigan in 2015, the dedication
ceremony was a perfect reflection

PHOTO COURTESY OF FIVE VALLEYS LAND TRUST

Stewardship work allows these Team Rubicon Disaster Response crew members
to improve their chainsaw techniques for
disaster response work nationwide.

of the project and the community.
Families walked through glades
lush with blueberry and wintergreen. People with mobility and
vision challenges navigated the
universal access trail through the
towering oak and white pine forest.
From the outset, the Land Conservancy of West Michigan was interested in creating a universal access trail. The fact that the site was
entirely flat meant the idea could
work. Staff members met with
the Fruitland Township Parks and
Recreation Commission, and they
learned that very few recreational
opportunities existed in the area
for people with disabilities. The
Anderson property could provide a
much-needed solution.
When first exploring the idea, the
Land Conservancy called Disability
Network West Michigan, a statewide
organization that was thrilled to participate. " This was a unique project

" This was a unique project -
different from other Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) trail
projects - because we got the
veterans involved in designing
the trail so that it met
their needs. "
- different from other Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) trail
projects - because we got the veterans involved in designing the trail so
that it met their needs, " says Vaughn
Maatman, the Land Conservancy's
former director.
Steven Knox, adjutant for the
Disabled American Veterans,
Chapter 11 in Muskegon and
veterans' counselor at Disability
Network West Michigan, wanted
to get veterans involved with trail
construction. " Once we had be-

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Parks & Recreation

December 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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