Post-hurricane cleanup work by students and faculty members has enabled Tusculum University to reopen its nature trail with a few tweaks to the route.
Dr. Peter Noll, professor of public history and museum studies; Jordan Baker, assistant professor of biology; and Josh Grabner, a graduate assistant at the Doak House Museum, built a new bridge over College Creek on the museum grounds after Tusculum temporarily closed the trail in the aftermath of damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
Then, students and faculty spent Friday, Oct. 18, removing fallen tree branches and performing other maintenance work on the trail during the university’s second Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day of the academic year. They also rerouted the trail in a couple of sections where it was not possible to remove trees and branches that had fallen.
“We are thrilled to have the trail back online,” Dr. Noll said. “It largely consists of the same route. We cut through about a half dozen downed trees and rerouted around three or four that were too big to cut through. The trail was blocked in about seven or eight spots, and we diverted around the really big trees that were hung up and snarly. It doesn’t look exactly like before, so anyone who is used to walking on the trail will have to keep an eye out for the changes. But the trail is cleared pretty well.”
Dr. Noll estimates that 90-95 percent of the trail remains the same, with about only about 150-200 feet of new trail and the new bridge being created. Otherwise, the group was able to clear debris from the trail and refresh it. Looking at from a broader perspective, Dr. Noll said the crew has enhanced the look of the trail.
Tusculum’s trail now starts behind the academy building on the Doak House grounds and runs through the woods to the Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland. It features a couple of forks that can take hikers in other directions, and a portion of the trail runs along College Creek. A round trip on the trail totals about one mile.
The new bridge Dr. Noll, Baker and Grabner constructed is mobile, meaning it can be removed if weather conditions in the future put the structure at risk. Tusculum is examining a potential grant that would pay for a wider bridge that would enable trail maintenance vehicles to cross for future work. The grant would also cover additional hurricane-related cleanup the university would like to tackle.
The previous bridge was located near the spring house on the Doak House grounds. It was damaged when a tree fell on it during the storms.
Baker, who partnered with Dr. Noll and other Tusculum family members in the trail’s initial development, described the changes in the trail as a commonplace event in response to storms and environmental activity.
“A natural area is constantly under reroute,” Baker said. “For now, this is the route until the next storm happens or the next set of trees falls.”
As a result of the downed trees, more sunlight has entered the trail. New types of growth will emerge where the trees once stood.
“The additional light will result in an ecosystem change,” Baker said. “What you will end up getting is more sun-tolerant species than shade-tolerant ones. Right now, we have a pretty good amount of shade-tolerant species. The ground cover now contains quite a bit of evergreen ivy. With the change, we will see more shrub and herbaceous material. Smaller leafy items and shrubs will become more prevalent. Trees that grow better with a lot of sunlight are likely going to be the first ones to poke through.”
Tusculum urges people to be careful as they navigate the new route and adjust to the changes in the trail and any potential remaining storm damage. The university has spray-painted some spots to alert hikers to be careful as they walk in those sections.
The trail is open during daylight hours every day of the year to anyone in the community and all Tusculum family members. Anyone with questions about the trail can email Dr. Noll at [email protected] or Baker at [email protected].
