Located behind Amesbury Elementary School, the new trail extends up Powow Hill towards Batchelder Park at the summit. It?EUR??,,????'???s the first phase of a three-part project linking the school to the park and the conservation land and trails on Battis Farm and Lake Gardner. Last spring AES staff members Bruce McBrien and Pam Gagnon spearheaded the effort and were awarded $1,100 from Amesbury Educational Foundation to create the trail. Several residents donated their time and expertise to work on the project, including landscape contractor Sean Curran. ?EUR??,,????'??The goal was to have a place where children could be close to natural life in the woods,?EUR??,,????'?? said Curran. ?EUR??,,????'??The trail goes past Lake Gardner and ends up at Camp Kent.?EUR??,,????'?? One of the toughest challenges in developing the trail was dealing with the initial incline from the elementary school. From the playground the slope rises about 20 or 30 feet in a distance of only 100 feet. Timber stairs with crushed stones were placed into the slope to make it easier for children to ascend. After the initial climb to the summit the trail runs fairly flat. Woodland Nature Trail will be officially opened sometime after Thanksgiving after a six-foot by 12 or 14-foot bridge is installed across a seasonal stream, said Curran. Another challenge was finding volunteers to clear out some poison ivy with trash bags. Curran and his crew used chain saws and a chipper to replace mulch along the trail. The trail runs about 3/4 mile with a width, varying from 6 to 8 feet, strictly for pedestrians with no horses or bicycles allowed. ?EUR??,,????'??Volunteers from the school will help to maintain the trail,?EUR??,,????'?? said Curran. ?EUR??,,????'??You can even go up it with your snowshoes in the winter. A set of stairs on that first incline is set up so snow can be swept away to both sides.?EUR??,,????'??