Volunteers Give TLC To County Beauty

Nearly a dozen volunteers turned out Saturday afternoon near Wildomar to help maintain one of the county’s prettiest beauties.

The effort, spearheaded by Butterfield Multi-Use Trails, Inc. and led by county officials, saw volunteers from Lakeland Village, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore and Menifee picking up trash, trimming trees, repairing rutted paths, and cutting down weeds on the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve’s Fenceline Trail.

Under the Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District’s Adopt-A-Trail Program, Butterfield adopted the 1.5-mile-long Fenceline Trail and Saturday’s labor commemorated the event.

According to Butterfield Multi-Use Trails, Inc. leader Martha Bridges of Wildomar, the trail adoption marks the first for the organization. Bridges said she hopes to bring increased awareness about local trails so that more residents and visitors will come out to enjoy Southwest Riverside’s scenic wonders.

Many local trails are open to pedestrians, bicyclists and horseback riders -- and that’s the case with the Fenceline Trail -- but most trails on the Santa Rosa Plateau are different.

Riverside County Ranger Bill Evans said the Fenceline is indeed special.

“It’s one of the few trails open to bikes, dogs on leash, and horseback riders,” he said. “Most of the trails are only open to hikers.”

As part of Butterfield’s adoption commitment, the association will continue to work with the county and state to ensure the Fenceline Trail is maintained throughout the upcoming year.

But the work is careful.

“The goal is to have [the trail] as natural and pristine as possible,” explained Susan Gilchrist, a county trails committee member and founder of the Adopt-A-Trail Program. She said trees are carefully trimmed under strict guidelines from state and county officials, and weeding is done under watchful eyes to ensure no native species are destroyed.

Menifee resident Lyndee Berg volunteered Saturday because she said giving back offers purpose, and maintaining open-space trails for all to enjoy is important for community and environmental wellness.

Berg comes to the plateau regularly and said, “It’s my salvation."

“With today’s economy, people can’t afford to go very far,” Berg continued, looking out over the plateau’s wide expanse and miles and miles of open trails.

Whether it’s hiking through centuries-old oak groves or learning about native wildlife, Berg said, “This is a wonderful, magical place.”

More About Butterfield Mult-Use Trails Inc.

“We work with the county and the local trail associations,” Bridges said of Butterfield’s efforts. “We see ourselves as an umbrella organization working to bring all the trail associations together for the greater good.”

Butterfield Trails was informally established in 2003 and incorporated in 2006 as a California non-profit corporation and public charity, Bridges explained. 

“While the original focus was to serve the unincorporated areas of Lakeland Village and Wildomar, the founding group made it clear that the intent was to service the surrounding areas and cities too,” Bridges continued.

; other cities and the county – including Lake Elsinore and Lakeland Village – also have vast trail networks, but they’re not all connected.

“We would like to see trail connectivity from here to the ocean,” Bridges said as she signed volunteers in Saturday. “It’s a matter of funding. Trail easements cost money, so we work on grants and raise awareness.”

Interested in Volunteering?

Gilchrist said that while many trails throughout the county have been adopted, there’s plenty of love to spread around and more information about adoptable trails can be found by contacting her at 951-522-0402, or by visiting the county’s website at www.riversidecountyparks.org.

Butterfield Multi-Use Trails is also looking for people who want to make a difference. More information on volunteering and becoming a member of the organization can be found by emailing info@bmut.org or visiting www.bmut.org.