Northaven Trail Celebrates Bridge Groundbreaking, Earth Day 2021 Service Projects

It’s been a busy few weeks for the Friends of the Northaven Trail. The organization celebrated Earth Day 2021 with service projects led by trail captain and Eagle Scout Spencer Burke. That special event will be followed by the official groundbreaking on the Northaven Trail’s bridge over U.S. Highway 75 (North Central Expressway) on May 8.

The trail, which stretches through Preston Hollow and North Dallas, will extend over one of the biggest thoroughfares in Dallas to connect with White Rock Creek Trail and Cottonwood Creek Trail upon completion in 2023. Currently, in order to access the eastern trails, pedestrians and cyclists must cross several lanes of traffic under Central Expressway.

“This bridge is really going to bring together disconnected parts of the city. We’ve already seen  how the trail has connected neighbors and new friends in North Dallas, and the new bridge will  connect citizens even more now. This is a huge step in making Dallas a more bike and  pedestrian friendly city.” says Jeff Kitner, President of the Friends of Northaven Trail. 

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Northaven Trail bridge over U.S. 75 will take place  Saturday, May 8, at 10 a.m. at the corner of Northaven Road and the southbound U.S. 75  Service Road.

Spencer Burke Plants Seeds For Success

Also worth celebrating is Burke’s successful Global Youth Service Day and Earth Day 2021 project on the Northaven Trail, which was enlisting a volunteer force to make more than 500 native wildflower seed balls. Burke was awarded a Hershey Heartwarming Youth Heroes grant for the project.

Burke led a team of youth volunteers to make over 500 native wildflower seed balls.  The wildflower seeds consisted of a native mixture specifically selected by Burke to attract pollinators and thrive in an urban-pedestrian trail environment.  The volunteers then approached bikers, walkers, and families along the Trail, gave them a bag of seed balls, and asked them to throw the seed balls in designated pollinator patches throughout the Northaven Trail. 

“Thank you, Spencer Burke, for organizing this seed bomb event,” said Will Dawson, Friends of Northaven Trail board member. “As a founding member of our Trail Captains program, Spencer has worked hard since October 2019 keeping his section of the trail in great shape. Today’s event will benefit all trail users as new wildflowers were planted along the trail’s eight miles.”

Burke, a rising senior at St. Mark’s School of Texas and Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 577 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, is especially passionate about protecting the environment.  He previously led conservation projects to remove invasive species and plant Texas native grasses and wildflowers at the Twelve Hills Nature Center, built and installed 100 solitary bee nesting boxes in parks and recreation areas all over the City of Dallas, and is currently raising hundreds of Northern Bobwhite Quail to reintroduce in the endangered Blackland Prairie at the Connamera Conservancy and Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area. 

“It was really great seeing our community come together after being isolated in their homes for so long from COVID; it is truly amazing how the power of people working together can make a difference in our environment.  Next spring, I can’t wait to see the Northaven Trail ablaze with Texas wildflowers and buzzing with native pollinators,” Burke said.