HARTS RUN (WVDN) – Some Greenbrier East students got their hands dirty this week, building a walking and biking bridge in the Greenbrier State Forest.
While their classmates were inside at school, members of the Greenbrier East JROTC and building trades and construction classes were working in the woods, brewing coffee over a campfire, and shoveling gravel.
For two days this week, the students gathered in the cabin area of The Greenbrier State Forest to construct a bridge that was washed out during the June 2016 flood.
The wooden bridge will take bikers and hikers over a stream on one of the state forest’s trails.
In the forest on Wednesday morning, JROTC instructor Major Darel Pickenpaugh was teaching his students how to make coffee over an open fire.
“We’re building a fire from scratch, using everything that’s available in the woods,” said Pickenpaugh.
As his students worked on the fire, others were working with the building crew shoveling gravel.
“It’s just a good experience for them,” he said.
Building trades and construction teacher Brian Baker oversaw the bridge construction.
As the coffee brewed, Baker instructed his students on how to cut boards for the handrail of the bridge, showing them how to set the table saw at the correct angle to cut each board.
His students took turns at the table saw and passed a pair of safety glasses between them as each one took a turn.
In years past, Baker said, his students have built playgrounds, done trail clean-up and cabin repair, built woodsheds and more in the Greenbrier State Forest.
Baker said that the bridge build is part of an initiative between trade classes and the Greenbrier State Forest and area communities with flood recovery efforts.
“It’s great to give them real-world experience while helping the community,” he said.
 |
| Greenbrier East students building a walking bridge in the Greenbrier State Forest. |
 |
| JROTC instructor Major Darel Pickenpaugh (left) instructs his cadets how to make campfire coffee. |
 |
| Students cut boards for the bridge railing. |
