Girl Scouts Pitch in to Improve Bucolic Walking Path

Girl Scouts pitch in to improve bucolic walking path

Skidmore's Spirit in Nature interfaith path has been revitalized this summer, thanks to a local group of senior Girl Scouts who hope the project will help them earn the Silver Award, the second-highest honor available to Girl Scouts.

Under the direction of leader Debbie Campbell and with the assistance of a number of parents (including Lisa Schermerhorn of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and Mary Parliman of the Office of College Relations), members of Girl Scout Troop 154 have been working on the path since last spring. They have cleared brush to redefine the quarter-mile trail; installed ceramic trail markers (designed by Ashley Higgins '07) and explanatory signs; upgraded the inspirational sayings and signage located along the path; constructed a new footbridge; and spread fresh wood chips along the walkway. Scout Jen Craig spruces up the footpath. 

To be eligible for Silver Award consideration, a project must provide 40 hours of community service work for each troop member. According to Campbell, each of the troop's seven members worked between 48 and 50 hours on the task.

Located behind Wilson Chapel, the path was the brainchild of Sue Van Hook, senior teaching associate in biology, who was inspired by a similar path in East Middlebury, Vt. She had been looking for a way to combine her teaching specialty with a growing interest in spiritual topics and discovered Spirit in Nature, a national organization that fosters the use of outdoor space as a place where people of diverse spiritual traditions may walk, workshop, meet, or meditate. Skidmore's path leads through the woods and circles around a glacial erratic boulder known as "whale rock."

Van Hook explained that the idea of a path at Skidmore was percolating in the back of her mind until Sept. 11, 2001. "I had just returned to the classroom after leading a group of students in an outdoor lab, and learned about the terrorist attacks," she said. "For me, the only way to cope to feel grounded was to return to the woods. So I went out behind the chapel for a short time to adjust to the terrible news. I realized then that a Spirit in Nature path could be a resource for other people as well." Shortly afterward, Skidmore established the path at its current location. Faculty who have used the path in their courses include members of the Department of Geosciences; Chaplain Stephen Butler Murray, who teaches a class called Religion and Ecology; and American studies Professor Mary Lynn, who takes students in her American Identities class to the area to explore Thoreau's and Emerson's ideas about nature.

Flash-forward five years, when the 10th grade girls in Troop 154 were looking for a project that would qualify for the Silver Award. Schermerhorn, whose 15-year-old daughter Kayla is a member of the troop, knew that the Spirit in Nature path needed some attention and suggested it as an option. The girls considered all aspects of the project and voted to take it on.

In connection with their research, troop members hiked Goodnow Mountain near Newcomb, N.Y., to study footbridge construction. The information helped when the girls (with the assistance of several troop dads) built a new bridge over a small stream in the path. Wood for the bridge was recycled from an old climbing wall once used by Skidmore students. The wood chips are former trees previously cleared from other areas on campus. The sign at the start of the trail was done with a wood burner by troop member Lilly Hyndman and her father; the inspirational sayings along the path were stenciled on the bases of northern white cedar by all troop members.

Troop members agreed that the hardest work was the spreading of more than 60 barrels of wood chips over the walkway. Annie Accettella, 14, was impressed by the amount of physical labor involved in the project, "I didn't think it would be so hard to spread out all the wood chips, but it was," she said with a grin. To keep spirits and activity level high, the girls engaged in friendly competitions, wagering on who could complete tasks more quickly.

Savannah Campbell, 14, a Girl Scout for 10 years, said, "It's turning out better than I thought. I've developed a good awareness of big projects after doing this." Chloe Parliman, 15, called the experience a good one. "There was an even distribution of the duties. Seeing the signs installed and the wood chips spread out has been the best part of the project," she added. Jen Craig, 15, a Girl Scout since kindergarten, said she enjoyed working together with friends on a common goal. "I'm much more comfortable now with the thought of accomplishing a big project," she said.

Van Hook said she is "ecstatic" by how much the Scouts accomplished. "I never doubted that they could do this job, and I'm thrilled with the results," she said. She's pleased that the restoration means the path can continue to serve its original goal: offering a place for quiet reflection for members of the College community.

With the end of the work near, the Scouts themselves reflected on the project. Savannah Campbell said it was "a motivating experience," and explained that it has helped her hone her organizational skills. Accettella said she enjoyed cooperating on a mutual goal with longstanding friends. "The best thing about being a Girl Scout is coming together to share stories and good times. I definitely plan to revisit the path and enjoy all that we accomplished here."