There is a fairly large county park near my house with a great deal of green space. It has some big grassy fields, a swampy low lying area, and a number of wooded sections surrounding it.
It's pretty cool to find such a place right in the middle of Suburbia, without paved bike paths or groomed mulch beds. Because of the rugged nature of the park, it is typically overwhelmed by a large deer population.
I have been working over the last 18 months or so to clear away downed tree branches and debris off of narrow trails and paths that the deer make in the wooded areas in the park. The cool thing is, after working at it for a while, the deer begin to traffic the trails I create, helping them to appear traveled and keeping back small plant growth on the trail.
The trail network is starting to come together. What was once an impassable brush field, now has around 3 miles of single track. Now granted, I haven't asked anyone for permission to do this, so it's all a matter of perception as to whether people like it or not, but it appears more and more hikers and park visitors are beginning to experience active deer paths and the wildlife that live there. Isn't this what going to the park should be about?
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