FADA Service Project: Adopt an Open Space

"U-Mound" along Trail 401, Albuquerque Open Space

Over the past several months I have been working on an idea for starting a community organization aimed at getting people involved with fitness-promoting outdoor-stewardship activities in the local community. I'm calling it FADA: Fitness, Action, Direction of Albuquerque. The belief behind this organization is that fit bodies and minds are prepared to take action to improve communities and able to find direction in a world that is often confusing to navigate.

The primary goal of FADA for 2012 is building membership and developing a long term vision. In order to get the ball rolling, we are adopting a trail in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains. This activity will get our members out onto the trails on a regular basis and promote our mission, which is to foster self respect (in the way we eat and exercise to live long, healthy lives) and respect for others (by taking care of the places we live and being mindful of the resources we share).

Trail 401 in the Sandia Foothills, Albuquerque Open Space

This week I met with three members of the Albuquerque Open Space Division: Jim Statler, resource management and visitor services supervisor; William Pentler, parks program specialist and open space education coordinator; and Jolynn Maestas, volunteer coordinator. Together we have identified a trail for us to adopt that is accessible to public transportation and is part of a well-maintained trail network that supports fitness activities related to both hiking and mountain biking. 

The space we will adopt is the section of Trail 401 that runs between Trail 400, just south of the U-Mound, and Trail 285, to the north. It is a beautiful stretch of trail that needs our help for three primary reasons: 1) it is littered with dog poop, 2) it has poor signage, much of which has been tagged with graffiti, and 3) it suffers from soil erosion issues because of heavy usage.

Magdalenas in view from Trail 401, ABQ Open Space

I'm excited to get started on this project, and am fortunate to be getting help from a core group of volunteers. The next step will be completing and submitting all the necessary paperwork to Jolynn and arranging to meet with Jim and William on site to identify the areas of greatest need. Soon after that, we will begin scheduling work projects for the coming months and devising a plan for mobilizing more volunteers.

Meanwhile, I will be arranging several short hikes with our core leadership, including Kristen Frueh, our parent and volunteer coordinator, and Khizer Ashraf, our nutrition and fitness coordinator, as well as with anyone else who's interested in participating in our organization. For more information on FADA, like us on Facebook.