DUANE SHERRILLEditor

The Friends of Short Springs put in the work this past Saturday as volunteers tuned out the late summer heat to help clear the trails for the enjoyment of hikers and nature lovers at the local natural area while also doing some improvements to the stairs near the falls.

The Friends of Short Springs (FOSS) held a Workday at Short Springs State Natural Area on Saturday September 21 from 8 a.m. to noon. Short Springs State Natural Area in Tullahoma is a popular destination for hikers throughout Middle Tennessee.

A group of twenty FOSS members and trail friends performed trail maintenance that involved resetting a sign in concrete, digging trenches to stabilize trails, adding tread to steps on Machine Falls Trail leading down to the Wildflower Loop and Machine Falls, and replacing rails on the Machine Falls Overlook.

The Friends of Short Springs organizes workdays four times per year and invites members of the community to participate. Tennessee Trails Association members and Scouts from Troop 402 and Pack 152 in Tullahoma also provided great service.

If anyone is interested in supporting the Friends of Short Springs, see their Facebook page or text Joan Hartvigsen at 931-636-2914. The next scheduled workday is Saturday Nov. 2, from 8 a.m. to noon