By Noah Kearney
CURWENSVILLE – Curwensville Lake has long been one of the unsung heroes among travel destinations in central Pennsylvania, and remains a terrific destination for summer activities with family.
While not as widely known as the fabled Black Moshannon or Parker Dam, it certainly packs a punch equal to its counterparts to the south and northwest (respectively) as a beautiful, fun way to appreciate Pennsylvania in a natural state.
One such person was wholeheartedly in agreement on that sentiment; she just so happens to be the activities coordinator at Curwensville Lake.
When asked about the origins of Adopt-A-Trail at Curwensville Lake, Erin Warrick stated that when the lake changed management, Adopt-A-Trail unfortunately went with it for a while.
Warrick passionately emphasized how, in the time without Adopt-A-Trail, maintaining 16 miles of trails was “extremely taxing on [their] personnel”, and that volunteerism “immensely helped [them] to better maintain the park as a whole.”
That was not an error, there are 16 miles of trails at Curwensville Lake, and all of it was managed by employees between the time management changed, and this summer when it was implemented.
The Adopt-A-Trail model is built upon the idea of coordinated, consistent volunteer maintenance to keep Curwensville Lake’s trails and such well-trimmed, beautiful, while prioritizing walkability and accessibility for its visitors in a fashion that doesn’t impede nature.
The implementation of Adopt-A-Trail at Curwensville Lake, as described by Warrick, is to the benefit of nearly every aspect of the park, easing the burden of park employees, giving people the opportunity to volunteer and make their community a better place.
While in the process, the park also becomes a more accessible and well-presented place for all of its visitors, as well as the wildlife that calls it home.
“…It’s a beautiful program.” Warrick said, when asked if she thought other parks could implement such a program. She continued by saying it’s been a powerful way “…to bring the community together”, and was proud of the strides it’s made, commenting that “It’s just good to see [that] we’ve made so many improvements.”
She seemed especially proud of the number of hands that have already stepped in to volunteer, citing that two organizations as well as some dedicated locals are already putting their time into volunteering.
While proud of what has already been accomplished by the program’s re-implementation, Warrick also detailed her confidence in the prolonged effect of Adopt-A-Trail, stating “… the hope is that it can be even more effective next year…” stemming from the fact that the program was implemented in the middle of the summer, and has still had such a profound affect on the park.
To this point, six of Curwensville Lake’s trails have been “adopted” by volunteers, presently, there are four individual volunteers with the program, as well as Curwensville Soccer by way of Chris Kurtz, as well as the Maverick Project.
“We are looking for any businesses, clubs, civic organizations or churches too.”
Warrick said, when asked about who is volunteering, and what the outlook on it is—it’s also important to note that individuals are encouraged to volunteer as well, as every pair of hands helps with volunteer work.
It’s Warrick’s hope that by spreading the word of Adopt-A-Trail as far as it can go, the already positive impact its having can extend even further toward being a binding agent for the community that is Curwensville, and Clearfield as well.
“The Adopt-A-Trail program aims to conserve, maintain and beautify” nature parks all over, as Warrick aptly put it, and her confidence in saying this was unmistakable; this model is one that has the potential to greatly improve an already amazing park, one that Curwensville is very fortunate to have so close to home.