TRAIL PACK—Vincent Bellinghiere, seated center, is surrounded by the crew that volunteered to help him freshen up a hiking trail in the Satwiwa Native American Indian Nature Area in Newbury Park. To his left is National Park Service Ranger and volunteer coordinator Mike Malone. Larry Chirico, NPS roads and trails worker, stands at Vincent’s right. Vincent’s father is second from right. Boy Scout Vincent Bellinghiere of Oak Park and a group of 37 volunteers made improvements to one of the trails in the Satwiwa Native American Indian Nature Area in Newbury Park. Bellinghiere, a senior at Oak Park High School, did the work to earn his Eagle rank.

The Satwiwa Loop Trail is a part of the National Park Service and part of the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area.

National Park Service Ranger and volunteer coordinator Mike Malone and Larry Chirico, NPS roads and trails worker, assisted with and helped organize the project.

Malone and Chirico are from Thousand Oaks. The Scout troop hails from Westlake Village.

The volunteers hiked one mile to get to the worksite, where they worked two days on the project.

Volunteers put in 13 new steps and 10 kick boards. Three water diversion bars, which had become tripping hazards, were removed. Five water trenches were dug, and the debris cleaned out from another three. A rocky step was also covered with dirt, creating a natural step.

The volunteers also found a series of steps which had been completely covered and hidden with soil. An old, deteriorating bridge was repaired. Replacing the planks in the bridge was more diffi cult than anticipated because the support underneath the bridge had rotted and needed replacement.

The ground was leveled in three locations and 10 tree roots and stumps removed from the trails. Poison oak was cut back, as was other brush, which widened the trail in many locations. About 600 yards of brush was cleared from the trails.