Posted 12:55 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014
UW-L student-athletes help groom trails for outdoor recreation, one of the qualities that makes La Crosse living so desirable.
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Members of UW-L's Cross Country teams clean up trails in the Hixon Forest.[/caption]
La Crosse stands out as one of the top places to live in the country in part because of its abundance of trails for outdoor recreation.
UW-L student-athletes help maintain those city resources that this year earned La Crosse a spot among the top 16 greatest places to live in the nation, according to Outside Magazine.
The magazine calls La Crosse “small-town friendly,” yet the city “punches above its weight in adventure.” It cites the dozens of in-town multisport trails in both Hixon Forest and Myrick Park, both within about a mile from UW-La Crosse.
In early September, UW-L’s 50-member men and women’s Cross Country teams cleared and groomed trails in Hixon Forest in preparation for cross country ski season.
Being an Eagle athlete comes with a responsibility to community, says UW-L’s Head Cross Country Coach Derek Stanley.
“Community service is our way of enhancing the communities that touch our lives,” he says. “Being an Eagle is representing and contributing to our campus community, local community and even our global society.”
In addition to the Sept. 10 trail work, the cross country team participates in numerous community events. Annually members dress up in costumes and hand out healthy snacks at the Enchanted Forest Halloween event at Myrick Park. They also volunteer at Riverfront Inc., a local organization that supports people with disabilities.
UW-L faculty and staff also volunteer to groom Hixon Forest trails. Biology Professor Scott Cooper and George Arimond, professor emeritus of Therapeutic Recreation, cut down trees and coordinate volunteers. The volunteer work is in cooperation with the Outdoor Recreation Alliance (www.naturesplacetoplay.com), which aims to maintain and promote the use of trails and other outdoor resources in the area. Cooper reached out to users of the trails last year, including high school and UW-L teams, and both groups wanted to help with trail maintenance.
Anyone interested in volunteering for similar projects can contact Cooper at scooper@uwlax.edu.
Members of UW-L's Cross Country teams clean up trails in the Hixon Forest.[/caption]
La Crosse stands out as one of the top places to live in the country in part because of its abundance of trails for outdoor recreation.
UW-L student-athletes help maintain those city resources that this year earned La Crosse a spot among the top 16 greatest places to live in the nation, according to Outside Magazine.
The magazine calls La Crosse “small-town friendly,” yet the city “punches above its weight in adventure.” It cites the dozens of in-town multisport trails in both Hixon Forest and Myrick Park, both within about a mile from UW-La Crosse.
In early September, UW-L’s 50-member men and women’s Cross Country teams cleared and groomed trails in Hixon Forest in preparation for cross country ski season.
Being an Eagle athlete comes with a responsibility to community, says UW-L’s Head Cross Country Coach Derek Stanley.
“Community service is our way of enhancing the communities that touch our lives,” he says. “Being an Eagle is representing and contributing to our campus community, local community and even our global society.”
In addition to the Sept. 10 trail work, the cross country team participates in numerous community events. Annually members dress up in costumes and hand out healthy snacks at the Enchanted Forest Halloween event at Myrick Park. They also volunteer at Riverfront Inc., a local organization that supports people with disabilities.
UW-L faculty and staff also volunteer to groom Hixon Forest trails. Biology Professor Scott Cooper and George Arimond, professor emeritus of Therapeutic Recreation, cut down trees and coordinate volunteers. The volunteer work is in cooperation with the Outdoor Recreation Alliance (www.naturesplacetoplay.com), which aims to maintain and promote the use of trails and other outdoor resources in the area. Cooper reached out to users of the trails last year, including high school and UW-L teams, and both groups wanted to help with trail maintenance.
Anyone interested in volunteering for similar projects can contact Cooper at scooper@uwlax.edu.