Members of the Crystal City Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been volunteering their time to clean up Tidd’s Trail at Rockport Heights Elementary School in Arnold.
About 20 members of the church, along with eight community members, got together Nov. 22 to clear brush and make other improvements to the trail, said church member Eric Werner.
Other work included “carrying out old, rotten wood rails and broken picnic tables, organizing large wooden spools and boxes, spreading mulch and gravel on the trail, raking and smoothing the trail and performing some erosion prevention,” he said. “The purpose, in general, was to make the trail and work station area more clean and useful for the students.”
It was the second time the church members worked on the trail.
In July, 42 members got together to work there, Werner said.
He said more improvements to the trail are needed, so church members plan to meet there again when the weather warms up in the spring to continue the work.
“The wooden spools and boxes need to be painted so they can be used as desks and tables for the children and teachers,” Werner said.
More work to prevent the boardwalk from rotting and to control erosion also is needed, he said.
Werner said the group may enlist the help of other churches and civic organizations to continue regular maintenance there.
Several local businesses have donated materials and services toward the project, including Home Depot in Arnold, the Bussen Quarries Trautman plant in Pevely, A & C Concrete in Herculaneum and Ken’s Tree Service in Arnold, Werner said.
The trail is named after David Tidd, a retired Rockport Heights Elementary teacher, who started a fishing program and trip at the school.
Rockport Heights, which is part of the Fox School District, uses the trail as an outdoor classroom. The nature trial is also open to the public.
