Sean Aronson, a senior at East Brunswick High School, has designed an accessible trail at the Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center to promote inclusivity in old growth ecosystems.
Aronson (17) says “There are very few opportunities for people with limited mobility to experience nature. By creating this wheelchair-accessible trail, we provide opportunities for those without them to experience, enjoy, and learn about this relic of nature.”
Aronson designed the 0.52 mile wheelchair-accessible trail to pass through goldenrod fields and the ancient old growth forest, Mettler’s Woods, including interactive elements such as signs with QR codes to learn about the ecology and history of the Hutcheson Memorial Forest. The trail will be made of compacted gravel in the areas outside of the old growth forest, but once the trail enters the forest, it will transition to a southern yellow pine boardwalk to allow for the continued health of the ecosystem, as compacted gravel may impact the health of the trees by suffocating the roots along the trail.
“The benefits of access to greenspace for both mental well-being and physical health are well-documented. Denying or limiting access to beneficial greenspace for people with mobility issues is a serious oversight of equity.“ says HMF Associate Director, Dr. Elena Tartaglia.
Aronson presented his plan to Dr. Tartaglia, Conservation Land Manager, Kamren C. Gorman, as well as past Conservation Land Manager, Lucien Fitzpatrick, and Forest Steward Alumnus, George Thomson. Kendall Eldredge, the Land Manager of Rutgers University EcoPreserve, was also presented with the plan and advised on the design and construction.
In the United States, only 18% of forests are old-growth, approximately 32.7 million acres. Of that 18%, only a small number include wheelchair-accessible trails. According to the CDC, 12% of U.S. adults have a mobility disability. For these adults, opportunities to experience old-growth ecosystems and other rare habitats are very limited. Old-growth forests are often found in hard-to-access places, such as steep ravines, places inaccessible to logging and not appropriate for farmland.
However, Mettler’s Woods is unique in that it was allowed to stay undisturbed on relatively flat land, making it the perfect place to build an accessible trail. “By building an accessible trail at the HMF, not only do we address Rutgers’ mission statement by providing for the community through public service, we also create opportunities for people who do not have them.” Aronson says. “My cousin, Niko Bekavac, was confined to a wheelchair his entire life. He sadly passed away in 2023 so I wanted to design and build this trail in his memory.” The Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center is a Rutgers-owned natural preserve that is a member of the Old Growth Forest Network. Sean Aronson has been a volunteer at HMF since 5th grade, removing invasive plant species and planting native plants at HMF.