( hike your heart on out, a bit )

hike your heart on out, a bit

by jennifer hetrick

set back within a stretch of more than 400 acres in amity township, berks county, is monocacy hill off of geiger road.

the township purchased the land from a quarry in 1967 using federal and state assistance; since then, it has stood as a continued landmark of appreciation for nature and the outdoors to both people living near the hill and trail enthusiasts from around the region.

     

in 1998, the monocacy hill conservation association stirred into existence at the hands of locals who felt a strong need to preserve and care for the area well out of respect for how valuable it is, especially with so much development evident even with the fortunate spans of agricultural sweeps around the douglassville area.

     

the association today has about 20 to 25 active members who volunteer in tending to the trails and landscapes around the hill, but the member lineup actually totals about 90. this is an integral component in the association in that membership is its primary source of funding to continue preserving and protecting the space.

( red trillium, bloodroot, & cardinal flower are some of the blooming 

beauties tucked in along sections of monocacy hill

photos courtesy of risa marmontello )

the association’s president, risa marmontello, points out that active members maintain the parking and picnic areas, along with keeping the trails cleared, which means identifying fallen limb and tree debris after bad storms. the association even added benches as break stops on trails when feet begin to grow tired, and large educational signs about native plants are also scattered throughout the hill’s paths, thanks to the association’s efforts.

     

today, the expanse encompasses five trails totaling about five miles. the longest, lower trail, starts at the parking lot and loops around the base of the hill. creek trail follows the south side of the park and leads to a small waterfall which a lot of people gravitate to when they visit for hiking. monocacy trail is the steepest and leads to a captivating, well-sought after viewpoint over a small portion of the county. stonewall trail connects lower trail in two places, and railbed trail curves around the northern part of the hill near a railroad line which was dug in but never actually used.

( a view from monocacy trail

photo courtesy of risa marmontello )

marmontello is known to be trimming and clipping at overgrown foliage and lower plants when she find herself trotting along the trail, and she’s hoping to do a little more maintenance here and there at the hill this winter if the weather by chance cooperates away from snow-saturated days in the next few months.

     

with several invasive species on the grounds, the association is working to remove them, as time permits. boy scouts have contributed in replenishing native tree seedlings, like oak, maple, poplar and hickory samplings.

     

another detail making the hill indispensible in the local landscape is that, being undisturbed, it holds water better than it would if it were stripped or developed, adding to its ecological significance.

     

throughout a year’s time, the association hosts several fitness walks, along with a native wildflowers walk in the early spring and a fern walk each autumn. annually, a geologist visits the trails to talk about features specific to the hill, and all educational and recreational walks are free to the public. a new history walk is also in the works.

( this mossy water feature sits along creek trail

photo courtesy of risa marmontello )

there is even at least one geocache along the trail; geocaching is the adventurous hobby of seeking out small, hidden containers full of trinkets set out at specific coordinates findable through global positioning system devices, with the specific location information available on www.geocaching.com.

     

to find out more about the monocacy hill conservation association, see maps of thetrails, and keep updated on events revolving around hiking and recreational fun, visit www.monocacyhill.org or search for the association on facebook.

     

and to meet the association’s members, learning more about the trails and volunteering at the hill, stop in at their autumn open house scheduled for sunday, october 16 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.