On Saturday, October 7, NWS board member Gene Kenny placed the final deck board of the new 1,800′ elevated Fern Trail boardwalk.
Gene has guided this entire project from conception/design; DNR approvals; grant applications and funding; working with Custom Manufacturing to secure all the materials needed for the project; and, finally, deconstruction of the old boardwalk through the countless details of constructing the new boardwalk over the past two years.
More than 70 NWS volunteers stepped up to help with the build, from construction to baking…and everything in between. We are so fortunate to have a deep pool of incredibly skilled volunteers…with apparently nothing better to do than devote multiple hours of their time over multiple Saturdays.
The Fern Trail boardwalk has reopened for hikers, but as you can see in the photos above, there are a few remaining details to accomplish to get it completely ready for wheelchair access. Earthen access ramps will be built and packed quarry wash will be added to the trail. We also will be adding several bump-out sections along the boardwalk soon. We are planning to add bench seating on the bump-outs…probably in Spring 2024.
Top photo: Gene Kenny placing the final deck board
Many thanks to Helen Berch-Kenny and Mary O’Grady for providing the accompanying photos.
