After their long, hot and grueling runs on Saturday morning, the MHS Boys and Girls Cross Country teams were still not done with their work. Right after practice, they headed into Wyman Woods to prepare the running trails for the new season with fresh wood chips.
“Some of us today ran up to 13 miles, yet we’re still up here woodchipping,” said Will Cerrutti, a Boys Cross Country captain as he spread wood chips across the trail.
“It shows our dedication, not only to the sport, but to our community as well.”
The MHS Cross Country team started running in Wyman Woods about 20 years ago. After he saw signs of erosion along the trails, coach Brian Heenan offered to help out.
“I reached out to the (Marblehead) trails conservancy,” said Heenan. “I said ‘Hey, I’ve got a whole group of teenagers who’d love to help spread wood chips on the trail.’”
This quickly became a yearly tradition, and this is the fourth time that they’ve done it.
“The more we can do to help preserve the trails and prevent it from getting eroded the better it is for everybody,” said Heenan. “As a biology teacher, I firmly believe in giving back to nature and I think that this is one way we can do it.”
The team used pitchforks to load wood chips into wagons, and pulled them up the steep trails into the woods. They spread the wood chips around the trails to minimize the effects of the erosion caused by their running. The wood chips create a barrier between the topsoil and rainfall and human activity. They act as a natural filter that allows water to slowly pass through while also preventing the soil from being washed or worn away.
While the trail work was a great way to protect the local environment, it was also a great team-building exercise
“Cross country doesn’t have the reputation of being a team sport, but it totally is one,” said Heenan. “And to have the best team, you’ve got to have activities like this that are going to bring them together and throw them teamwork.”
Girls captain Marri O’Connell added, ““It’s like a bunch of different parts working together. We’ve got the people scooping up the woodchips, the people with the wagons, we’re all pitching in to help do this.”
