Hikers looking for a new route can try out the recently improved Brandt Trail, a 1-mile hiking path next to Wall Park off Sloop Road in McCandless.
Brandt Trail is an easy-to-moderate walk, with the trailhead located just beyond the entrance to the park along Sloop Road. McCandless partnered with Landforce, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit, for some required maintenance and course improvements.
Landforce looks for local projects to train its workers on trail maintenance and other environmentally productive work.
McCandless Manager John Schwend said that while the project wasn’t high on the town’s to-do list, it had to get finished.
“We needed the work done. We either had public works do it or volunteers. This worked out for everybody,” Schwend said.
Landforce had a crew of 14 people working on the trail for two days in April.
Work included installing a drainage pipe with a land bridge over the culvert, creating a rock inlay crossing over a muddy area with a drainage pipe to divert a seasonal spring across the trail, adding aggregate layers to another wet section of trail, and widening the trail along the wooded hillside, said Thomas Guentner, director of land stewardship at Landforce.
The project took 14 to 16 hours of labor with prep time and used materials provided by McCandless for its completion, said Guentner, who said Landforce looks for opportunities like these to train its crew.
“Landforce is an environmental workforce development organization that hires and trains adults in land stewardship skills like trail and park maintenance, green infrastructure management, vacant lot management, community garden development, and tree planting and tree care, as well as other projects of value to the environment and the communities we call home,” he said.
The work provided by Landforce was funded through WeConserve PA’s Regional Trail Workshop Grant, with McCandless providng a small matching grant. Crew members receive hourly pay while learning skills to help them succeed professionally, according to Guentner.
Trainees learn trail-building skills. They also learn how to safely use hand tools, gain experience with teamwork and nuture some of the soft skills of what it takes to be a great employee, Guentner said.
“We have found that experience with these skills can nourish a culture of self-empowerment for people aspiring toward meaningful and stable employment while we protect and improve our natural environment,” Guentner said.
Rickey Hebron of Homestead was a former crew member who now serves as a site supervisor for the organization. He helped to supervise the work last month.
“Landforce is just not training in a classroom. I think it’s helpful because, as a crew member, they learn a lot and get a lot of experience, learning about trail habitat, trail maintenance. We invest in you,” Hebron said.
Guentner said they use various curriculum that taps into work ethic, including how to be better co-workers, avoid conflicts, and just have a better, well-rounded life.
Jerome McKinney, 19, of Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood on the North Side had been with the program for four weeks and is looking to increase his job skills. He would like to own a landscaping business or work for a larger company that works on similar projects.
Landforce assisted him in getting certifications in CPR, first aid and his driver’s license.
“It helped me out a lot,” McKinney said.
Shayron Coleman, 30, of East Liberty said working outdoors aligns with his interests.
“I like to work with my hands. We learn about land stewardship skills and work development skills, and about keeping the land clean,” Coleman said.
Darcell Boyd, 38, of Pittsburgh’s West End neighborhood has been in the program for four weeks and enjoys working outdoors.
“I like the outdoors and I like learning outdoor skills. It’s a good program,” Boyd said.
Shawn Taylor, another site supervisor for Landforce, came up with the idea requiring crew members to borrow a library book related to an interest or the work they are doing, which also taps into using public resources, such as the library.
The trail is a hiking option for those who want to experience the natural beauty in McCandless. Wall Park was recently renovated and features a baseball field, a playground, tennis courts and a pavilion that is available for rental, said Abby Lucostic, parks and recreation director for McCandless.
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Eventually, the trail will have another access across from the Wall Park parking area, Councilman Jack Casey said.
“It’s a space that people can really enjoy nature. It’s a spot people can go and be in nature. It’s quiet and peaceful, a great place to take the dog for a walk,” Schwend said.