Week of the volunteers: Grenspark Trail Builders
From 25 February to 5 March 2023, we celebrate volunteer week. In the Grenspark, more than 100 volunteers dedicate themselves to the maintenance of 6,000 hectares of natural beauty.
Ranging from maintaining the mountain bike trails, manning the fire tower, monitoring plants and animals, guiding hikes, checking the trails to supervising a youth camp. Each have their duties and are invaluable to the area. We would like to introduce you to some of our enthusiastic volunteers.
Grenspark Trail Builders
Roel and Erik are volunteers of the mountain bike trails. Together with a team of enthusiastic mountain bike enthusiasts, the Grenspark Trail Builders, they are responsible for building and maintaining the 4 intensive mountain bike loops in the Grenspark. We asked them 3 questions about their volunteer work.
Thank you Grenspark Trail Builders, for your hard work!
Roel Camps
How did you come to volunteer at the Grenspark?
"As an avid biker and trail builder, I am often on the lookout for new, cool locations to ride and/or to build trails. I've been digging trails in Flanders for years, usually at varying locations. A few years ago, I found new trails in 't Grenspark via Strava, Google Maps and Earth. After searching for information online, I ended up at the website of Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide where there was a call for volunteers. Because of the huge potential, being close to home and being allowed to work legally on trails, I applied to become a volunteer."
What do your duties as a volunteer entail?
"As a volunteer, I help build and maintain the MTB trails, we provide fun features that are safe to ride and challenging at the same time. Monthly, I ride inspection rounds to check for urgent jobs. 1-2 times a week I am actively digging on the trails. We also have season-related work like leaf baiting and pruning thorny bushes.
As director of Stichting Grenspark Trail Builders, I also do a lot of administrative tasks such as budgeting for materials, work clothing, giving information sessions to foresters, preparing logbooks, placing orders, meeting about operating agreements. There is a lot involved."
What was -until now- your best volunteer moment?
"My top three is in a shared place: being out in nature a lot and spotting animals is a great moment for me time and time again, especially when it starts to dusk. Every time we work on the trails and we get compliments from passers-by and lastly being able to create and then ride a dream route in coordination with the land managers, super, I think that's golden."
Erik van den Heuvel
How did you come to volunteer at the Grenspark?
"I had just lived in the municipality of Woensdrecht for a year and was already busy exploring the surrounding nature in the area by bike. When I read the call for volunteers for special mountain bike routes, I immediately responded. So I was still able to help with the construction of the Red and Blue MTB route."
What do your duties as a volunteer entail?
"Regularly inspecting the routes, which I can combine perfectly well while playing sports. In addition, an extra round of checks for example after a storm or notification via our Facebook account Grenspark Trail Builders. We clear the trails of branches and other debris, check signage, maintain the drainage of the trail and every now and then we create a new challenge on the trail."
What was -until now- your best volunteer moment?
"Surely the most beautiful moment was when I was working at a certain spot and was in the company of an owl just down the road in the forest who continuously made himself heard. Even at night near our village, he is regularly present throughout the night. In terms of volunteering, it is extra enjoyable on busy mornings when, during regular maintenance, I hear one compliment after another coming at me from passing cyclists!"