An eager crew of 12 high school volunteers from the Landmark Organization came to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in July to work on the construction of a handicap-accessible boardwalk along a new environmental education trail. The trail, which is adjacent to the Lighthouse Meadow water impoundment and site of the Assateague Village, has been designed to provide an area for school groups to learn more about Assateague Island's cultural history and educate children about natural resources.

This high school crew of volunteers arrived on July 16 and worked under the guidance of their Landmark Team Leader, Lisa Meierotto, until July 29. Refuge volunteers Ted and Charlotte Thomas took part in the two-week camp, as Site Overseers by providing valuable assistance to the participants and their parents.

The Refuge participated as one of the 52 Landmark Volunteer work sites across the nation. The completion of this project was truly a team effort as Refuge Operations Specialist Karen Pacheco organized the volunteer assistance while Outdoor Recreation Planner Ray Paterra brought together the construction details, including the volunteer assistance of his brother, Vincent Paterra.

Vincent, an architect, designed the structure and traveled to Chincoteague from Colorado to oversee the construction of the boardwalk.