Spartanburg’s Urban Trails Set for Restoration After Tropical Storm Helene

Spartanburg’s Trails Braces Up for a Comeback

From the historic streets of Spartanburg, some exciting news has emerged! The urban trails that once took a hit from Tropical Storm Helene are now on their way to being fully restored. Play. Advocate. Live Well (PAL), the dedicated team behind this resurrection, have been tirelessly working to get these city trails back to their pre-storm glory.

According to Trails Development Director, Leigh MacDonald, the process has been underway for a couple of weeks now, with local volunteers doing commendable work, especially in tackling different trail segments and collecting debris.

The Preparatory Steps

Various groups have helped to kick-off this Herculean task, starting from Oct. 5, with the first cleanups being held at the Lower Drayton and Three Creeks Trails.

Moving forward, the most recent community cleanup was held Oct. 26 on the River Birch Trail, which is cozily tucked away parallel to Lawson’s Fork Creek on East Main Street. The volunteers drafted in for this cleanup exercise, sponsored by Ryan Homes, pulled around 20 tires out of Lawson’s Fork Creek. Not only did they make the creek cleaner, but they also went a step further to replant around 30 young trees that had been blown over during the storm. And guess what? They did this with stake supports to help the trees stay upright. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade!

Looking Forward to The Future

With admirable teamwork, Leigh MacDonald and his team are working to restore Mary H. Wright Greenway before focusing their efforts on the River Birch Trail. It is not an easy task, as there are leaning trees to be tackled, and larger debris to be removed. Yet, the team is hopeful, keeping a back-and-forth process with their partners to enable the cleanup.

The storm damage is not just limited to trees though; it also broke down some paved trail edges which now need patching up. As Leigh MacDonald puts it, “We need some of our partners to come in and take down some of the leaning trees first, and some of the big stuff, in order for us to clean up the debris.” And that’s where more helping hands are needed.

Although the timeline for the full restoration of the trails isn’t clear yet, the organization is keen on coordinating further trail cleanups. They are inviting local groups, businesses, school groups and any other organization that would like to help in this commendable cause.

The Call to Take Part

Yes, that’s right! If you’re part of an organization or even an individual who’s interested in contributing, PAL would love to hear from you. As Leigh MacDonald kindly offered, “The more people we have come out the better, and the quicker, we can get back to a state of normalcy.”

So let’s stand together, roll up our sleeves and make a difference! Let’s reclaim the beauty of Spartanburg’s treasured trails from Mother Nature’s grasp, and enjoy the lush greenery once again.

To find out more about future cleanup dates, and to get involved, contact PAL’s Community Outreach VISTA, Desirae Chitishvili. So, as we anticipate the full restoration of the trails, it’s a communal call to play, advocate, and live well.

We all have our part to play to make Spartanburg a cleaner, greener, and even more beautiful place to live!