Newton Trails

I hate when I get too busy to blog.  I miss it.  Still not much time today, but I wanted to share some thoughts from last week's meeting of trail builders in the Northeast Georgia Region and our tour of the North Oconee River Greenway in Athens.

Sharing an afternoon with public officials and private citizens involved in building greenway trails around the region, it was invigorating to hear so much passion and commitment to the cause. It was also encouraging to hear the success stories from the Athens greenway system and the Sandy Creek Nature Center.  Ours is a region with so much untapped outdoor recreation potential just waiting to be harnessed for the health and economic well being of the region's 12 counties, 54 cities, and more than 635,000 people.  And, all of that natural beauty was in full display along the greenway.

The North Oconee River Greenway incorporates Athens-Clarke County's Heritage Trail -- a series of over fifty interpretive panels along the trail describing historical features such as the former Cook and Brother Armory, Chicopee Mill, Dudley Park, and the railroad.  I can so readily imagine similar panels along a rail trail in Newton County, commemorating our agricultural heritage, civil war history, and the glory days of communities like Starrsville, Hayston, and Brick Store that once dotted the landscape.  It's a vision we need to continue to share every chance we get.

Visit our Facebook page to see more photos of the Sandy Creek Nature Center, the North Oconee River Greenway, and the Heritage Trail.

We use the term "greenway" or "greenway trail" often on this site, but perhaps not everyone knows what a greenway is.  Webster's defines greenway as " a corridor of undeveloped land preserved for recreational use or environmental protection."  It also says first known use of the term was 1966, which surprised me.  The concept has been around longer than I thought.  And, yet, some still seem to have trouble catching on.

I've deliberately kept trails alive in the discussion around plans for the Norfolk Southern Railroad corridor because I am afraid politicians will look for any excuse to avoid criticism and try to skirt the trail discussion.  But, truth be told, the potential for that corridor is so much broader than a trail.  A greenway encompasses many uses that transcend trail-based activities like walking, biking, or jogging.

Many folks assume the rail corridor is what they see with their eyes:  the roughly eight feet taken up by the ties and rails.  But, check the survey maps for the railroad, and you find the corridor is actually 25, 50, or 100 feet wide in all but a few places.  And, being already densely lined in most places with trees and plants, the corridor is a ready-made greenway.

There are as many greenspace uses for the corridor as your mind can imagine.  For me, community gardens, picnic areas, playgrounds, dog parks, micro parks, water gardens, and fitness trails come to mind.  A greenway can and should encompass all of those ideas and more. And, aside for the ways in which the greenway can be used, there is an additional benefit realized by every citizen of Newton County -- whether they venture into the greenway or not.  By preserving the trees and plants along the linear parkway, we maintain an oasis of greenery to cool and cleanse our air.  And, we can all use more of that.

When I visit the Oxford Trail, it's usually on a bicycle, passing through from one end to the other, keeping my eyes on the twists and turns so as to not veer off the trail.  (There's a self-filmed video floating around cyberspace of me doing self-inflicted harm veering off the trail.)  Today was different.

For the Walk About, we did as much standing and listening as we did walking.  But, standing was more exciting than you can imagine.  Dr. Eloise Carter has a way of getting you to see the intricate details of a tree, a limb, a branch, a leaf, or a flower that reveals just how much we miss as we pass distracted through our world.  She has a simplicity in her teaching, but a passion and enthusiasm in her voice.  It was a great morning!

Standing still in those woods, and not hurrying through, I became aware of so many sounds, sights, and smells that too often go unnoticed -- at least in my busy life.  The singing of the birds was everywhere (which bodes well for the May 7th Walk About Our Feathered Friends.  I also noticed for the first time the sounds of a hidden waterfall coming from somewhere within a thicket.  In the tiny stream, I spotted even tinier minnows darting about, playing some sort of game with the bullfrog tadpoles lying in the mud.  Swamp Irises stood tall in broad masses, lifting their brilliant yellow blooms high above the wetlands.  Were they always there?

If you missed the Walk About, don't miss the trail in springtime.  It's a wonderful place filled with plenty to see and nothing you have to do.  Slow down.  Take your time.  I'm sure glad I did.