VOiCEup Berks

YVC and Rock Hollow Woods Build a Boardwalk!

In August 2020, Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading students worked at Rock Hollow Woods on a week-long project to build a raised walkway through designated wetlands in the Schuylkill River watershed. This project, funded by a grant from Youth Volunteer Corps national headquarters, supported Rock Hollow Woods in creating a wetland learning station, accessible by the construction of the elevated walkway. The boardwalk was constructed in the first phase of the project and was followed in the second phase by the construction of picnic tables for use in the area. The goal of the project was to deepen participants’ knowledge and understanding of wetlands, stream habitats, and the life cycle of insects, as well as expose participants to noninvasive construction techniques that protect and preserve the environment.

Rock Hollow Woods is a unique 77-acre nonprofit learning center whose mission is to provide youth with outdoor opportunities to discover and learn about the natural world and empower them to protect their environment. This 70-foot boardwalk has two functions. The first is to permit visitors to have increased access to the wetland area for things such as bird and butterfly watching, creek exploration, and educational activities including macroinvertebrate and amphibian observation. The second function is to make the wetland area more accessible for youth with physical limitations.

This project could not have been completed without the strong collaboration from Rock Hollow Wood's staff and its co-founders, Jim and Jean McCreary. Click here for more information on Rock Hollow Woods.