Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College received a $10,000 grant from the Wabash Valley Community Foundation today at its annual fall grant award ceremony to help launch a new Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Trail Head initiative.
“Community is so important to The Woods. By designating the Le Fer Lake Trail as a trailhead, we’re actively working to connect our campus to the county trail system,” said Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College President Dottie L. King, Ph.D. “Providing trail access is important for our students, athletic teams and as part of our outreach to the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods community.”
In May, the college rededicated Le Fer Lake after several years of work with the 181st Intelligence Wing of the Air National Guard to restore the lake habitat and repair the dam. As part of the project, a half-mile trail was added through the generosity of the Vectren Foundation.
The grant will allow the college to renovate the gatehouse to be an information center for the SMWC Trail Head. The Community Foundation granted $190,000 in community grants to 15 Vigo County organizations. SMWC was presented the grant by the Community Foundation’s past president, Fred Nation.
“The gatehouse will be a place to welcome guests to campus, provide information, offer a water re-filling station, which is part of the college’s commitment to sustainability, and provide public restrooms for those wishing to walk along the Le Fer Lake Trail,” said Director of Facilities Josh Wood. “It is part of a vision for the lake to be a gathering place and a living, breathing classroom.”
The gatehouse, which was once used by the College and the Sisters of Providence for security, stands just inside the historic entrance gates of the College. It is one of 67 historic structures and is a part of the Saint Mary-of-the-Wood Historic District on the National Register.
Earlier this year, President King appointed a trails task force to work with Vigo County on identifying a pathway from campus to the trail system at Dewey Point and putting together a proposal to hopefully secure state funding for the project.
In addition to the work on the gatehouse, the College will construct an outdoor classroom during the Spring of 2019 which will serve as a lab for the environmental science program and summer camps. The College is also seeking funding to restore the historic gate and entrance and add new wayfinding signage as it too is on the national register and will be part of the overall trail head.