There’s a little trail that’s a big deal to a group of local youth.

More than a dozen teens and young adults from the Native Youth Conservation Corps, in conjunction with the Sierra Native Alliance, have spent their summer working to restore Auburn’s Alta Vista Nature Trail.

“In the beginning you couldn’t even tell this was a trail,” said Alan Wallace, project director. “There wasn’t much you could do, because it was so overgrown.”

The trail is adjacent to the former Alta Vista School. The Sierra Native Alliance moved into a couple classrooms on campus in 2009. Wallace said the goal is to eventually re-establish an interpretive trail, and this summer’s crew has put a huge dent in the workload. The Sierra Native Alliance was able to hire and train 18 low-income youth for the past six weeks with funding from the Stewardship Council and the Sierra Health Foundation.

The group has worked hard together and has gotten along well, Wallace said.

“I wanted to have them start with what seemed like an impossible project and finish it,” he said.

Work has included clearing walking paths and removing invasive species in order to reduce the risk of fire hazard as well as making room for indigenous flora and fauna on the trail, which was overrun with trees, debris, blackberry bushes and poison oak, which everyone encountered at one time or another.

“It’s inconvenient and it’s uncomfortable but if you can get over it, you’re not really hurt,” Wallace said of poison oak run-ins.

James Vigil, 23, of Roseville, thinks what he and fellow workers have done is important work.

“We’re making this trail look the way it should be,” he said. “All this dry stuff is just fire fuel. It’s summertime, it’s hot.”

Leo Landel, 18, of Placerville, has had a good experience with the program.

“It’s been interesting coordinating with a group of youth, breaking off into teams and finding out what we can do as such a large group of people,” he said.

Anno Nakai, executive director of the Sierra Native Alliance, said the summer trail project aligns well with the alliance’s goal “to provide cultural education, family resources and environmental activities for youth and families of the Sierra Nevada region.”

Participating in a program such as this summer’s trail work helps youth build self esteem and a connection to their community.

Nakai’s proud of this group’s accomplishments.

“It’s so great working with them,” she said. “We’ve really seen them grow as a group and bond as a group. I think it’s because they really believe in their community, and cultural pride.”

Reach Loryll Nicolaisen at lorylln@goldcountrymedia.com.

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All are welcome to attend a community potluck and guided tour of the Alta Vista Nature Trail Restoration Project 4:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Alta Vista School, 173 Oak St., Auburn. Learn more by calling (530) 748-8764 or visiting www.sierranativealliance.org.