NEW pedestrian bridges will be installed on the Old Bottlebutt track in the next stage of walkway improvements in the Wauchope district State forests.
This follows a successful program of work by a dedicated group of international students who spent a week working on projects in the State Forests around Wauchope.
"The group, coordinated by International Students Volunteers and Conservation Volunteers Australia, were hosted for the week by Forests NSW," said Forests NSW Central Region community partnerships forester Sandra Madeley.
"They were a very enthusiastic and hard working bunch, completing walking track clearing at Old Bottlebutt near Wauchope, brushing up the Longworths Heritage Tramway Walk on Upsalls Creek Road as well as initial work on a new walk at Coopernook Forest Park.
"The highlight of the week for me was seeing the students interacting with members of the Kendall Heritage Society at a traditional Aussie barbecue lunch out in the forest."
The construction of pedestrian walkway bridges at Old Bottlebutt and new interpretation signage will further enhance the walking tracks.
"The generational and cultural differences were no barrier as the young volunteers learnt about the society member's involvement in the forest and the history of the heritage tramway.
"They were also presented with a booklet all about the tramway by Bill Boyd of the Heritage Society."
"The walking tracks will be developed to form part of a wine, food and forests trail which is an initiative of the North Coast Forests Taskforce," Ms Madeley said.