Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Allegheny Outdoor Club Treasurer Bill Massa (left) and President Linda Ross, present a check for $1,000 for the Chapman State Park Storywalk Trail to Park Environmental Education Specialist Jen Moore and Wes Ramsey of Penn Soil RC&D.

It’s right in their name.

The Allegheny Outdoor Club encourages people to get out and enjoy nature.

On Friday, the club made a donation that members hope will encourage people, particularly young people, to get out to Chapman State Park.

President Linda Ross and Treasurer and Special Projects Coordinator Bill Massa presented a check for $1,000 to Chapman Environmental Education Specialist Jen Moore and Wes Ramsey of Penn Soil RC&D toward the development of a Storywalk Trail at the park.

The AOC donation brings the project essentially to its funding goal – Ramsey said 95 to 99 percent.

He estimated the project at $15,000, with a target of $11,000 in cash, and the remainder expected to be in-kind materials and services.

“We’ve been friends of Chapman State Park for more than two decades,” Massa said of the AOC. “Our interest is in getting more young people involved in the out-of-doors at a beautiful, local facility.”

“AOC has been a long-time partner with Penn Soil with improving trails, building bridges,” Ramsey said.

“We’re already involved in interpretive trails at Hearts Content and at Timberdoodle Flats in Marshburg,” Massa said.

The proposed trail will be a loop, about one-half-mile long, near the western end of the north side of the lake.

“Where it’s located, people can get to it all year long,” Moore said. “It’s handicapped accessible. It’s next to a bathroom and parking. There’s a picnic table at the half-way point and they end up where they start.”

Along the way, sign stands will be placed about every 80 paces – 20 to 25 signs in all.

The stands will contain pages of books that are pertinent to the area, to the season, to stewardship, to watersheds, and many other possibilities.

Moore said the titles would be rotated every few months.

Ramsey said he expects a geocache or several to be placed in conjunction with the project.

There have been several major donations to the project and a number of surprise donations, Ramsey said.