Published: November 24, 2007 10:30 pm      

Serenity trail would link ACM with new hospital, health department

Students working on nature project

CUMBERLAND — Students in Steve Resh’s forest recreation and human resource management course are working on a nature project that will benefit the mind-body-spirit wellness of Allegany College of Maryland students, faculty and staff as well as the employees of the Western Maryland Health System and the Allegany County Health Department.

“This year’s class is in the process of establishing a trail on campus that has a link to the property of our future neighbor, the Western Maryland Health System,” Resh told the ACM Board of Trustees at its Monday meeting.

The college’s serenity trail and labyrinth could be connected to the WMHS property by moving the existing wooden bridge so Willowbrook Creek could be crossed behind the annex building, according to Resh’s report.

In addition to linking the trail to the WMHS property, the students will develop a new interpretation of the trail and create a booklet that explains the natural environment to the trail users. A trail user standing next to a stream would read about how water temperature and cleanliness influence the species of fish and invertebrates. The interpretations will connect nature to life experiences — for example, the movement of the water in the stream may be compared to the journey of life, said Resh.

Walkers will use the interpretive booklets to guide their journey through nature.

“The first benefit is reconnecting with nature — being outside in the woods listening to the sounds in the wild has a natural calming effect — it’s also an opportunity to learn about our environment,” said Cherie Snyder, director of human services and integrative health at ACM.

“Our hope is that health system employees will come over on their lunch break and take a little time to relax,” said Resh.

“Health system employees, patients and their families are under a lot of stress, and students are also under a lot of pressure, so this will be good for everybody,” said Snyder.

As part of the project, students calculate the cost for the items included in their interpretations, such as bird feeders, bat houses, benches or fish feeders. Resh will present the trustees with the costs and request funding for such items at a future date.

“We are very excited about this project,” said Janice Lindner, director of community health and wellness for WMHS.

Contact Jennifer Raley at jraley@times-news.com.