Putnam's first handicap-accessible trail is goal of Carmel High teens

By MARCELA ROJAS
THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: December 19, 2006)

SOUTHEAST - Carmel High School students Anna Eisenstein and Krista Gabarro noticed one thing missing from the expanse of woods throughout Putnam County: a place where the physically challenged could enjoy nature.

The sophomores have embarked on an ambitious project to create the first handicapped-accessible trail in Putnam County and they are well on their way to making it a reality.

"It's not fair that handicapped people don't have the opportunity to do this," said Gabarro, 15, as she made her way through the proposed pathway.

The students, who are working toward their Diploma of Excellence, a school program that requires them to complete two community service projects by the end of their senior year, approached the Putnam County Land Trust as freshmen with their idea. The Land Trust has a little more than 500 acres of preserved land in Putnam, said its president, Judy Terlizzi.

"This is something that we had always thought about," Terlizzi said. "These girls are so amazing. They are so thoughtful and so determined."

In August, Eisenstein and Gabarro, with the help of their mothers and four friends, cleared out a 700-by-5-foot path at the Land Trust's Peach Lake Natural Area. The labor-intensive work involved pulling out by hand dense stands of the thorny shrub, Japanese Barberry, they said.

The path, set inside 140 acres of open space off Cobb Road in Southeast, is now clear and waiting for the materials necessary to make it handicapped-accessible. It is called the Lindera Loop Trail after the spice bush that grows there.

"We've done everything we can without money," said Eisenstein, 15, adding that they have devoted more than 150 hours to the venture.

The teens have made presentations to several local organizations in hopes of raising the $15,000 necessary to finish the work. They are looking to enhance the trail - dotted with a variety of native plants and a nearby stream - with a fern glen and a butterfly garden. The path will also feature an environmentally friendly paved surface for wheelchairs, metal edging, benches, signs and an educational trail guide, Eisenstein said.

So far, they have raised $3,500 toward their goal. Brewster Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 672 recently presented the girls with a $2,500 check.

"Many veterans, suffering from disabilities related to war wounds and-or aging, miss being able to go into the forest," VFW Commander Art Hanley said. "We hope that other groups across the nation will do the same - taking a lesson from what Anna and Krista are doing here in Putnam County."

While they have until their senior year to complete the project, Eisenstein and Gabarro said they would like to have the materials purchased and the trail installed by the spring. A local contracting company that prefers to remain anonymous will complete the work for free, Eisenstein said.

The students said they hope that once the job is complete, other groups or their siblings, will take over where they left off and extend the trail even farther into the forest.

"It's a beautiful spot," Eisenstein said. "I can't imagine not being able to go in the woods, but if you're physically challenged there's no way. We just want to give them that chance."

Reach Marcela Rojas at mrojas@lohud.com or 845-228-2271.