Funding Rock for the Wet Weather Trail

Friends of Shimek has pledged to raise $2,000 in 2016 toward the maintenance of the Wet Weather Trails at Shimek.  Attendees at the FOS Annual Dinner to Honor Volunteers have already donated $540 to kick off this effort.  For those who missed the dinner, if you can help us, you can donate either through credit card at our GoFundMe site below or by mailing a check directly to Friends of Shimek, Lee County Bank, c/o Debbie Miller, Treasurer, 2501 Avenue L, Ft. Madison, IA 52627.

FOS has worked with the Shimek Forester and raised funds to upgrade and rock almost 6 miles of trail as a Wet Weather Trail system (WWT), 1.2 miles of it to be finished this spring.  These trails can be riden on horseback under much wetter conditions than the dirt trails without damaging the resource (That is, without causing gullies and ditches that destroy the forest.) The protection of the trails for future use is critical if we are to continue to be allowed to ride on these public trails. The WWT allows us to enjoy the trails more often, without damaging them.

However, to keep these trails rideable as a WWT, annual work is required. That means we must have the rock to replace that which has been worn or washed away each winter. The approximate cost of this is $2,000 per year--dollars that are NOT in the DNR budget as these trails are a convenience for us, not an essential forest budget item. The purpose of this fundraiser is to raise the $2,000 for 2016 to purchase rock that then will be applied to the damaged areas in the WWT by DNR staff and FOS Volunteers. With your help each year, you and other equestrians can continue to use these trails for many years.