By Clover Carroll and Terri Miyamoto
The Crozet Trails Crew (CTC) was awarded an Earth Flag by the Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club June 22 in recognition of their work building and maintaining a trail system in and around Crozet. “We think the work the Crozet Trails Crew is doing is so positive and powerful that it deserves more recognition,” the Sierra Club explained in its press release. CTC president Terri Miyamoto affirmed “we are excited and honored to receive this recognition.” The award was presented by Sierra Club leaders Donna Shaunesey and Scott Ziemer at the point on Lickinghole Creek where a pedestrian bridge is planned that will unite the eastern and western sections of Crozet’s trail system.
The Crozet Trails Crew is made up of community members who are interested in helping plan, build, and promote pedestrian and bicycle trails in and around Crozet. The CTC was established in the fall of 2009 by Dan Mahon (former Albemarle County Trails and Greenways planner) and Jessica Mauzy (former Crozet resident and local trails enthusiast) as a grass-roots organization that would assist the Crozet community in realizing and implementing their goals for pedestrian connections and recreation. Since its inception, the CTC has welcomed scores of volunteers, from kids to the elderly, and has worked on a variety of projects in the area. They thrive on the energy and commitment of all the volunteers and invite everyone to join them, regardless of age, fitness level, trail experience, or time constraints.
In its 15 years of existence, the CTC has cleared and maintains over 10 miles of trails, with trail access from many Crozet neighborhoods. They have built nine bridges over seasonal creeks, a stairway to improve access over a tricky trail section, and a bog bridge in the area designated to become Western Park. Much of the trail is on the Crozet Greenway, a natural area included in Crozet’s master plan to provide a safe place to walk, run, and bike adjacent to Crozet housing. Maps are available at www.crozettrailscrew.org.
In order to create better connections, the CTC is currently planning and fundraising for the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Lickinghole Creek, a challenging project which, when completed, will tie together trails east and west of Crozet Avenue, and north and south of Lickinghole Creek. The connected trail system will enable Crozet residents to travel safely to schools, parks, shopping, and other amenities via the greenway. To visit the planned location for the pedestrian bridge, walkers and bikers should enter the Crozet Connector Trail at your favorite point and head toward the southwest corner in Westhall, where the trail lies across Lickinghole Creek from Cory Farm and Sparrow Hill. If you drive, the closest trailhead is on Nicolet Court in Westhall. Use 5937 Nicolet Court in your GPS and enter the trail on the opposite side of the street. Donations to this Connecting Communities project are welcome via the CTC website.
The Piedmont Group of the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, with over 1,500 members, serves Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Fluvanna, Louisa, Greene, Madison, Orange, Rappahannock, Nelson, and Buckingham Counties. The Sierra Club’s mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth. Locally they work both to celebrate and to protect the natural world on a wide range of fronts. They have been awarding Earth Flags to unsung local environmental heroes to make sure they get the recognition they deserve.
