High schoolers volunteer to create trails on Mount Grant Preserve

Published 4:21 pm Monday, December 28, 2015

Friday Harbor High School juniors Corbin Williams and Eli Cooper-West logged 87.5 volunteer hours atop Mount Grant Preserve for their community project, almost 30 more hours than the class requirement. They are proud of what they accomplished and how it will immediately benefit many visitors to the preserve.

Inspired by previous work with the San Juan Island Conservation Corps, both Williams and Cooper-West were familiar with trail work and believed this project would be fun, even though neither one of them had yet visited the preserve. Under the guidance of San Juan County Land Bank Preserve Steward Doug McCutchen and with input from San Juan Preservation Trust Stewardship Manager Kathleen Foley the two FHHS juniors helped with layout and design of trails at the summit, coordinated delivery of materials and equipment, and provided labor.

“It was a little harder than we expected,” Williams said. “Time management was the toughest thing, but we ended up with a really cool project and got to work in an awesome place.”

With the Campaign to Save Mount Grant still underway and about $1 million remaining to be raised, the Land Bank is not yet in a position to invest significantly in permanent trails and improvements.

“The volunteer contributions of Corbin and Eli will immediately enhance visitor experiences,” McCutchen said.

Mount Grant Preserve is open to hikers daily, and the gate will be open for driving access to the top, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 1, Feb. 14 and 15, and March 26 and 27.

To hear more about Williams and Cooper-West’s community project, attend their presentation on Jan. 13. Presentations begin at 5:30 p.m. and run through 7 p.m. at Friday Harbor High School. For more information regarding the Campaign to Save Mount Grant, visit their website.