Spotlight on: Lockport area's Erie Canalway Trail ambassadors

Benjamin Joe, Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.
Updated ·3 min read

Apr. 11—The trailheads of the Erie Canalway Trail are getting some seasonal maintenance by volunteers in the Lockport area. Sandy and Mike Guzzetti and their crews are out-and-about putting down mulch and beautifying seven miles of the trail between Pendleton and Lockport.

The road to where the Guzzettis are today is interesting.

Across from way from Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village in Amherst is a trailhead that they thought could use some sprucing up, so they went to work weeding, planting and placing bicycle wheel art in the flowerbeds. Once satisfied, they stopped, and then returned to water, only to find that the wheel art had been taken out and was laying next to a fence. They put it back. Left and returned again, and found the wheel art laying by the fence, again.

This happened several more times, and it wasn't until they were at a 2017 Pints for Progress event at Lock 34 Bar & Grill, with others bidding for funding to expand the trail beautification effort into Lockport, that they learned what was going on.

"This lady comes up to us and said, 'So you're the one who's been doing this!'," Sandy Guzzetti said. "It turned out that the Canal Corporation couldn't get into the trail without running over (the wheel art), so they took it out and put it nearby."

At that Pints for Progress event, the Guzzetti were awarded funding to continue their project, and at the same time learned they should get permission from Parks & Trails New York to do what they wanted to do.

These days the Guzzettis are in contact with the state Canal Corporation, and have worked out where garden art can and cannot be placed in concert with Canal Corporation operations.

The Guzzettis are in charge of 10 trailheads between Pendleton and Lockport, and at each one a group has volunteered to maintain the garden. Today, the mulching is getting done by Great Scape Lawncare, who the Guzzettis pay to do their lawn.

"This way he can get bulk mulch, which is cheaper than getting it by the bag," Sandy Guzzetti said.

The Guzzettis don't get any government funding for their project. Laughing at the question, they say, "We are the funding!"

The Guzzettis work with the volunteer groups at each trailhead, assisting however they can.

"A lot of people don't actually like planting. They like to just maintain what's there. So we come in and plant," Mike Guzzetti said.

The groups include Slow Spokes and Big Wheels biking clubs.

During winter, the Guzzettis drive by the trailheads once a week, and regularly walk to the trail to take note where it has "caved in" or trash has been dumped. They have a Facebook page, "Trail Keepers — Our Erie Canalway Trail Gardens" with almost 800 followers.

"One woman came up to us and said, 'This makes me proud to live here,' while we were working on a trailhead," Sandy Guzzetti said. "It was very touching."

To inquire about volunteering with Trail Keepers, call Sandy or Mike Guzzetti at 716-930-6307 or send an email to trailkeepers@roadrunner.com.