May 31, 2000

Optimistic start for new trail

Optimist Club, school system dedicate 'Discovery Trail'

By Garret Leiva
Herald editor
       Living up to its "friend of youth" motto, the Traverse City Optimist Club unveiled its "Discovery Trail" last Monday in a ribbon cutting ceremony befitting of the special partnership between the civic organization and the local school system.
      A self-guided environmental education trail located on the 27 acre Optimist property south of Chums Corners, the "Discovery Trail" was developed by the club in conjunction with students and teachers from Traverse City Area Public Schools. Aside from creating a unique outdoors classroom experience, the trail ensures an environmental legacy future generations can enjoy.
      "We always said we would try to make an impact with as many youth in our area and we have a wonderful opportunity in front of us to really make a mass impact," said Scott Duensing, Optimist Club president, who cut the trailhead ribbon with the assistance of TCAPS superintendent James Pavelka and two West Senior High School students.
      The "Discovery Trail" runs through wetlands along Beitner Creek, intermediate growth areas and a beech/maple dominated upland habitat. When completed, the trail will contain two sets of 14 interpretive sites; one set oriented toward seventh to twelfth-grade level classes and the other set geared toward elementary school curriculum.
      Establishing this environmental education trail was made possible through foresight and generosity dating back three decades. During the 1960s, local businessman Art Schmuckal donated 27 acres to the Traverse City Optimist Club. Since that time, the secluded property has become a haven for area schools and youth groups.
      Development of the "Discovery Trail" initially began more than a year ago through the urging of Schmuckal and other members. Working with the Grand Traverse Conservation District and Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Initiative, a land management plan was devised and the still unnamed trail started breaking new ground. Optimist volunteers and crews from the Michigan Department of Corrections began constructing boardwalks and bridges nestled between towering trees.
      Seeking to involve area school students, the Optimist Club and Traverse City Area Public Schools became trail project partners. East Junior High School students mapped out perspective trail work. Central High School students developed 35 informational signs. Students from Old Mission Elementary even discovered an appropriate name for the trail.
      Exploring every nook and cranny, students from West Senior High School created an interpretative trail guide brochure. The project involved taking a tremendous amount of photographs of the area and researching specific wildlife topics.
      "It was an opportunity we couldn't pass up," noted Charles Kolbusz, a science teacher at West Senior High School. "We talk about so many things in our classroom through textbooks and laboratory experiments, but rarely do we get the chance, like here, to come out and work in those environments."
      Dedicating the trail to the youth of northwest Michigan, Mike Brown said the Optimist Club property is available for day outings and limited camping for classrooms and youth groups. The property also features a pavilion with picnic tables, a fire pit and a large grill.
      "Today we feel like we have a small, but precious community resource," noted the Optimist Club property development chairman. "Thirty years from now this site will be here as a natural area for students to use- that's the legacy we're going to leave behind."
      Traverse City Area Public Schools superintendent James Pavelka also expressed gratitude for an "exciting" resource benefiting both today and tomorrow's youth.
      "We as a community need to work very hard together to make sure that our youth have opportunities like this to sense real life education. Youth are only 30 percent of our population, but they are 100 percent of our future," Pavelka noted.