Filled with lush greenery and miles of wooded paths, the preserve is the place to experience nature in Atlanta; however, a summer of heavy rainfall left its trails in disrepair with countless muddy ditches. Realizing the value of Lullwater to the Atlanta community at large, over forty members of the Emory Men's and Women's Cross Country teams gathered bright and early on Aug. 31 to lend a hand to The Friends of Lullwater Preserve in addressing the situation.

Armed with wheelbarrows, bow rakes and landscape shears, the student athletes laid down over 18 cubic yards of mulch along the muddy trails in addition to cleaning up various overgrown paths. Together, the teammates turned a potentially laborious, time-intensive project into a bonding experience requiring just one sultry summer morning.

Women's team senior Co-Captain Emily Caesar expressed her excitement about the service project: "The trail restoration was a really was a great way to give back and it also allowed us to get to know our newest teammates in a different setting outside of our typical practices."

With an immense display of teamwork, the Eagles restored the scenic Lullwater trails to their original condition for all to enjoy. Upon completion of the project, Caesar also commented about how gratifying it was to see such hard work pay off.

"All in all, I think the whole team felt a real sense of accomplishment after walking through the paths and seeing how much progress we really made."

 

Yet again, these Emory distance athletes have shown that grit and a little sweat can go a long way.