Mid-Atlantic Stellar Volunteers of 2007

George Shollenberger, Monitor Coordinator for BMECC along with Al Shrom went a step above just monitoring the boundary and repainted almost 18 miles of rugged and rocky PA boundaries between the fall of 2006 and spring 2007. Thanks Al & George for all of your continued hard work to protect the AT and the surrounding corridor lands. Hope to get out on the line with you both soon!

Having worked the boundary in BMECC territory as well, believe me that the name Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club is quite fitting. It's not the Mahoosucs, but for the many AT hikers that dread the infamous Pennsylvania rocks, keep in mind that many of the AT corridor boundaries throughout PA are even rockier than the AT, traversing up, down, and along some pretty steep slopes. After a hard day's work on a BMECC boundary like the one shown above, it definitely leaves you feeling like one leg is longer than the other.

PATC Monitor Coordinator Tom Lupp doing Boundary 101 Training with new Corridor Monintors Dick and Laurie Potteiger on the Duke Hollow section in northern VA.

A long time PATC trail maintainer, Dick Potteiger signed up as a corridor monitor in March 2007 on the overgrown Duke Hollow section in northern VA. This area had gone without maintenance for far too long and took over 9 full days along with ATC Boundary Survey Manager Sally Naser to recover the line. This monitoring section was full of challenges including extremely faded paint conditions, overgrown brush, numerous non traditional AT monuments including dead trees and iron pipes, and to top it off had a very confusing set of ECBS (exterior corridor boundary survey) maps to navigate with requiring two different era surveys to work from. Throw in the occasional "violator" and there's never a dull day out on the Duke Hollow boundaries! Thanks for keeping with it Dick and holding the line!

Rick Loggia is the Monitor Coordinator of the Orange Rockland Chapter of NYNJTC. He is one of the finest Monitor Coordinators trailwide and assisted with the Corridor Monitoring & Encroachment Mitigation workshop held at the 2007 ATC Biennial Conference in Ramapo , NJ. Being a Monitor Coordinator takes good leadership, teaching, and especially reporting skills. Thanks Rick! You continue to set a great example for others in terms of the big picture of AT Corridor Stewardship.


The Most Improved Club of 2007 is AMC-Delaware Valley! Mike Manes has done a greatjob as the new Monitor Coordinator for the club. In 2007, Mike and his wife Kieu (in center of photo above) along with other club volunteers monitored and maintained over 75% of the club’s monitoring section in PA. Y'all have set the bar high for 2008. We can't wait to get back out on the boundary with you and help with the follow up on many of the encroachments that were discovered. Thanks AMC-Delaware Valley!