Unison employees volunteer alongside members of the Chenango Greenway Conservancy to improve trails along the Chenango River in Norwich. The crew worked on erosion repairs, trail clearing and marker replacement on the north Riverway trails. (Submitted photo)

NORWICH — A crew of 20 employees from Unison’s sensor department spent a morning earlier this month volunteering on local trails. Unison dedicated employees for the day to help improve the north trails in Norwich, which are maintained by the Chenango Greenway Conservancy.

The crew came out with enthusiasm and tools to work alongside Greenway members on trails along the Chenango River behind Borden Town Circle. They hauled fill and old slate sidewalk slabs to upgrade an eroded trail used by bikers and hikers; weed-whacked and cleared trails of briars and grass; and replaced and hung trail markers. The trails were noticeably improved by the time the crew broke for lunch midday.

The north trails are part of the Riverway trail system, owned by the city of Norwich and maintained by the Chenango Greenway Conservancy, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

The Chenango Greenway Conservancy has worked since 2006 to develop and maintain public recreational trails and green spaces in and around Norwich. The organization says its volunteers have helped construct and maintain about 8 miles of trails along the Chenango River through the city.

The Greenway’s Norwich properties and projects include the north and south River Trails, Greenway Park, Patsy’s Riverview and the Stone Quarry on West Hill. The River Trails trace their origins to the city’s Greenbelt Park Project of the 1970s, envisioned as a multi-use walking, running and biking trail system along the Chenango River. Patsy’s Riverview, a 5-acre riverfront property donated to the conservancy in 2019, now includes walking paths, benches and connections toward Greenway Park and Baker Dog Park.

“Unison has been a community partner with the Greenway for the last three years, offering an employee volunteer day every fall,” said Beth Stewart, a Greenway board member. “Their work has helped to keep our trails available to local hikers and bikers. We’re very grateful for their continued support.”

— Information from the Chenango Greenway Conservancy