06/14/2026
Keeping trails healthy starts with understanding water and today, our staff got a masterclass in just that. 🌿💧
A huge thank you to New York-New Jersey Trail Conference for hosting a Trail Conference University course on drainage structures at Lorrimer Sanctuary!
Experts from the Trail Conference taught New Jersey Audubon staff and MEVO interns the fundamentals of trail drainage, including some techniques every land steward should know:
🌊 Fall Line — Water always follows the path of least resistance, and so do hikers. When a trail runs directly down the fall line (the steepest natural slope), it can become a stream channel during rain events, leading to severe erosion. Learning to read the fall line helps us understand how water wants to travel across the landscape.
🪨 Gargoyling — Just like the stone figures on gothic cathedrals used to intimidate evil spirits, in trail building gargoyles are objects placed to deter people from passing like rocks and logs but they do not impact water flow.
⛏️ Knicks — These are small, precise cuts made into the trail that intercept water flow and redirect it off the trail before it gains speed and erosive force.
🔩 Drains — Our teams learned how to assess where water collects, how to size and position drainage structures appropriately, and how to ensure they stay functional through seasonal changes.
Proper water management isn’t just about trail longevity, it protects the surrounding habitat, prevents sediment runoff, and keeps the landscape of Lorrimer Sanctuary thriving for wildlife and visitors alike. 🐦🌱
We’re so grateful to the experts at New York-New Jersey Trail Conference for sharing their knowledge with us! This kind of hands-on training is exactly what builds a stronger, more resilient land stewardship community. 💚
