Pennypack Park is more than a place where Independence Youth Cycling rides. It is home turf for our Philly Pennypack team, an outdoor classroom for our athletes and coaches, and one of the places that helped shape IYC’s identity.
That identity has always included more than riding bikes.
Trail work and environmental stewardship are fundamental parts of the IYC experience. We believe that young riders should learn to respect the places where they ride, understand what it takes to care for them and contribute meaningful time and effort toward keeping them healthy and accessible. We don’t simply use trails—we help take care of them.
This summer, the Appalachian Mountain Club is bringing a valuable series of trail-maintenance workshops and workdays to Pennypack Park. Presented in partnership with Friends of Pennypack, the four-event series will teach volunteers practical skills related to trail-corridor clearing, drainage and water management.
These events offer IYC athletes, families and coaches an opportunity to learn from experienced AMC Trails Training instructors while working in a park that means a great deal to our organization.
View the four AMC Pennypack events and register >>
Why formal trail training matters
There is always value in showing up, putting on a pair of gloves and helping with a community cleanup. But sustainable trail stewardship requires more than good intentions.
Improper pruning can damage healthy vegetation. Cut material placed in the wrong location can interfere with natural drainage. A poorly constructed drain can move water—and erosion—to a different part of the trail rather than solving the underlying problem. Even seemingly simple work should be guided by an understanding of the trail, the surrounding environment and the long-term consequences of each decision.
Formal instruction from a respected conservation and recreation organization such as AMC helps volunteers understand both what to do and why it should be done a particular way.
These workshops will combine classroom-style instruction with hands-on field experience. Participants will learn sustainable techniques, practice using tools safely and apply those skills directly on Pennypack’s trails.
The training is beginner-friendly and open to participants regardless of previous trail-work experience. It is especially valuable for people who want to become more active and effective volunteers in Pennypack or elsewhere in Philadelphia’s park system.
Corridor Clearing Workshop and Workday
A sustainable trail corridor gives people enough room to travel safely while limiting unnecessary impacts on the surrounding landscape. Maintaining that balance requires volunteers to understand vegetation, pruning practices, tool safety and debris management.
AMC’s corridor-clearing curriculum will include:
🌱 Plant identification: Learn to recognize common native and invasive plants found along Pennypack’s trails.
✂️ Brushing and pruning: Practice techniques that improve trail safety and visibility while protecting healthy trailside vegetation.
🌳 Tree and plant health: Learn how to avoid damaging the growth collars of branches and how to cut saplings and other vegetation correctly.
🪚 Bucking and limbing: Use handsaws to safely cut and remove limbs and logs in minimally complex situations.
⛑️ Safe work practices: Understand personal protective equipment, cutting zones and appropriate working distances.
🍂 Materials and debris management: Learn how to place cut material using low-impact techniques that preserve the natural appearance of the area and do not interfere with water flow.
The Saturday workshop provides a four-hour instructional experience, while the Wednesday workday offers a three-hour opportunity to reinforce and apply the same core skills.
Coast (Corridor) Is Clear: Corridor Clearing Workshop
Saturday, July 25, 2026
9:00 AM–1:00 PM
Coast (Corridor) Is Clear: Corridor Clearing Workday
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
9:00 AM–12:00 PM
Drainage and Water Management Workshop and Workday
Water is one of the most powerful forces affecting natural-surface trails. When it travels down a trail instead of across it, water carries away soil, exposes roots and rocks, creates ruts and mud, and gradually makes the trail less sustainable.
Effective drainage work begins with learning how to read the landscape. Volunteers must understand where water originates, how it moves and which solution is appropriate for a particular location.
AMC’s drainage and water-management curriculum will include:
🌧️ Understanding water on trails: Examine the effects of natural drainage and stormwater on trail surfaces.
🔎 Identifying problem areas: Learn to recognize locations where water is collecting, following the trail or contributing to erosion.
📐 Restoring outslope: Understand how the shape of the trail surface can help water travel across the trail rather than along it.
⛏️ De-berming: Remove accumulated material along the trail edge that prevents water from draining properly.
🍃 Maintaining existing drains: Clear leaves, organic material, soil and rocks that prevent drainage features from functioning as designed.
💧 Selecting appropriate solutions: Learn how to match different drainage features with the conditions found at a particular site.
🛠️ Constructing drainage features: Gain hands-on experience creating features that manage water and improve long-term trail sustainability.
Sweet Dreams Are Made of Drains: Drainage Workshop
Saturday, August 1, 2026
9:00 AM–1:00 PM
Sweet Dreams Are Made of Drains: Drainage Workday
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
9:00 AM–12:00 PM
What participants need to know
All four events will take place outdoors in Pennypack Park, meeting off Pine Road. Registration is required.
Participants should arrive prepared to spend three to four hours outside performing moderate trail work.
Required:
- Sturdy, closed-toe shoes
- Long pants
Participants should also bring:
- At least one liter of water
- Snacks
- Comfortable socks—wool is recommended
- Weather-appropriate layers
- Rain gear
- Bug spray
- Sun protection
- A backpack
- An optional camp chair for the classroom portion of the Saturday workshops
Trail work may continue in the rain unless conditions become dangerous. Participants should check the forecast and prepare accordingly.
AMC will provide the necessary personal protective equipment, including hard hats, gloves and eye protection. Participants may bring their own protective equipment if they prefer.
Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for the entire event. This is an important requirement for IYC student-athletes and families considering attending together.
Stewardship is part of the ride
At IYC, stewardship is not separate from mountain biking. It is part of becoming a complete rider and a responsible member of the trail community.
Trail work teaches patience, teamwork, problem-solving and respect for the natural environment. It also changes the way riders see a trail. Once you understand how water moves, why vegetation is trimmed a particular way or how erosion develops, you begin reading the landscape differently from the saddle.
That knowledge creates better trail users—and better advocates for the parks and open spaces our communities depend upon.
We strongly encourage IYC coaches, parents, older athletes and other members of our community to consider participating. Pennypack is our home turf. Learning how to care for it through professional, hands-on instruction is a powerful opportunity to deepen our connection to the park and strengthen our ability to serve it.
The trainings are part of a two-year program led by the Appalachian Mountain Club in partnership with park friends groups throughout Philadelphia. The initiative is designed to give local volunteers the skills and experience needed to become more effective stewards of Philadelphia’s parks and trails. Lead support is provided by the William Penn Foundation.
Let’s show up, learn together and keep making stewardship part of who we are.
