By Terri Miyamoto
The young rider in the picture shown is just one of the many Crozetians who have taken to the trails during the COVID-19 lockdown. To our delight, trail usage has increased dramatically since April. Walking, running, biking, birding, catching frogs, and posting messages in the tunnel, Crozetians are doing it all—whether alone or with family, friends, or a treasured pet. Some have even taken to carrying pruning shears with them to help cut back the growth as they stroll along the trails. There is no denying it, our community is a special place. It feels even more so as we safely enjoy the outdoors and time together, even if it is 6 feet apart.
Reluctantly, the Crozet Trails Crew decided to forgo our annual fundraising event, the 5K race/run/walk on the Connector Trail usually held in October. It is particularly disappointing, as the 2020 race would have marked the beginning of our second decade hosting the 5K. But that does not mean we cannot stay connected. As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
The lemonade in this instance is Project COVID Storyboard, an ongoing community-based project where we will collect your experiences on the trails and parks to memorialize this unique time in our lives. We are asking Crozetians to submit photos (selfies, families, pets, nature) taken (or yet to be taken) on the Crozet trails and parks and to briefly answer the question “How have the trails eased your COVID experience?” Readers may contribute to the storyboard by going to crozettrailscrew.org and clicking on the link Trails During COVID, where you will be guided through the process of attaching pictures and comments about your experiences on the trails. The link will be available through late October.
The plan is to post the storyboard and comments on the Crozet Trails Crew website and Facebook and to share it with local publications. If we receive a solid response, the Crozet Library has also agreed to display the storyboard. The time will come when we can safely celebrate the resilience of our community. Your pictures and experiences will tell a part of that story.
