By NewsLine Staff
mail@floridanewsline.com
The Nocatee preserve trail, a hidden gem in the community, is a 3.5 mile out-and-back hike, starting at Ponte Vedra High School and ending at the Nocatee paddle launch. It traverses several different ecosystems, including marshlands and swamps, and offers a unique insight into the natural world. With several mountain biking trails throughout the expansive preserve, it makes a perfect activity for a weekend afternoon.
On Sunday, Feb. 20, a group of volunteers from BSA Troop 23 in Nocatee helped to install mile markers and a picnic table along the trail. The group was led by Jack Wilcox, as his Eagle project, at the request of St. Johns County. The mile markers have been long needed, as they not only help county workers get a better sense of direction on the trail for maintenance projects, but also help direct any potential emergency services who may need to respond to incidents.
“I was initially only going to install the picnic table and replace the benches,” Wilcox said, “but the county asked if I could install the set of mile markers. I wasn’t thinking about doing the mile markers, as there was already a set along the trail, but they wanted them replaced as they were slightly inaccurate, a bit old, and not as consistent (only being every half-mile).”
The Eagle project was in the works for quite some time, with the mile markers themselves needing to be engraved first on a prior workday. Another group of volunteers participated in that first workday, sealing and carving each wooden post in Wilcox’s garage on a rainy Saturday morning in January. On the day of installing the mile markers, an employee from the county drove his truck alongside the volunteers as they dug the post-holes, inserted the markers, and dry-packed the hole with concrete. The group also replaced the top boards on a bench, and installed a picnic table kit provided by the county in one of the ideal rest stops along the trail.
Wilcox said he’s pleased with the finished project.
“I find it really important, as now there is something impactful I can leave behind in the community,” he said.
In addition to trail maintenance, the St. Johns County offers several other volunteer opportunities across many of the amenities and sites that they manage. Anyone looking to help out can call the Parks and Recreation Department at (904) 209-0333. In addition, local BSA Troop 23 would love to help out on other projects that the community may need. If an organization is in need of some extra volunteers, or you are interested in joining the Troop yourself, reach out to the troopmaster at PatrickJohns.Troop23Nocatee@troopmaster.email
Photo courtesy Jack Wilcox
Scouts installing a picnic table kit.
