South Regional TAFE Collie campus students have made a difference to the Collie community by improving and maintaining local mountain bike trails as part of a group project.
The Gaining Access to Training and Employment (GATE) students decided, as a class, to perform trail maintenance on the Collie Mountain bike tracks known as the Arklow Trails.
The students sought information and gained approval from the Collie Mountain Bike Club president Erik Mellegers and the Parks and Wildlife Service to carry out the work.
South Regional TAFE campus manager Roche Angon said the students participated in pruning, weeding, and raking of the trails.
“Their lecturer Crosbie Vickers is an experienced local mountain biker and provided guidance to the students in carrying out the work,” she said.
Mr Vickers said his students were extremely enthusiastic about tackling the hands-on project.
“The trails that the students worked on were the start of the infamous ‘Dead Cats Trail’ and the entire length of Mornington Glory,” Mr Vickers said.
“The major task of the work was to repair some of the berms that had been changed due to erosion or vegetation growth.
“The students, along with In-class Assistant Sue Marlow, worked hard and were extremely delighted with their efforts,” Mr Vickers said.
Student and keen mountain biker Ethan Begg said:
“It is so much nicer now [when riding] being able to enjoy that high-speed bend and not looking for a tree root that was right in line of the track.”
The students also repaired the approach bend to the biggest table-top jump which has made the approach faster.
“The riders we met were extremely complimentary about the job we were doing and were supportive of our efforts,” Mr Vickers said.
The students involved were Ethan Begg, Alex Colombera, Blake Rowlands and Ann West.