Volunteer Puts Safety First on Cycling Trails

Terry Harman, decked out in a bright yellow shirt and black nylon bike shorts, takes in the fog-shrouded hills around Cheeseboro Canyon.

Resting his lean frame against a picnic table near the trail head in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, he watches a group of kids strapping on bike helmets and gloves.

“It’s a great day for a ride,” he says, smiling.

Harman should know. He’s logged hundreds of miles on the Valley’s state and national park service trails, doling out first aid and advice to outdoor enthusiasts he encounters along the way.

Harman, 50, is a volunteer with the Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Assn. or CORBA, a nonprofit organization instrumental in establishing new, multiuse trails and educating bicyclists about trail safety and etiquette.

“Our job is to inform people about everything,” Harman said. “If you pick flowers or bring dogs into a park without a leash or if you just want to know about a great place to hike, we’ll provide the information.”

And provide it he has, more than 100 hours’ worth last year. Equipped with a radio, first-aid kit and a working knowledge of the goals and philosophy of the park service, Harman and his fellow volunteers take to the trails eight hours at a time, at least once a month, to serve as the park rangers’ eyes and ears.

The trained patrols, called the Mountain Bike Unit, have been operating under CORBA since 1988, contributing more than 50,000 hours of volunteer time. They boast a roster of 108 active members.

Harman serves on the executive committee of the bike unit, which keeps track of volunteer hours, logs trail accidents and monitors the bicyclists, hikers and equestrians who use the parks. The statistics are handed over to the park service.

But number crunching isn’t what spurs Harman onto the trails. It’s the fresh air, the vistas, the physical challenge and, of course, the kids.

On a cool, overcast Saturday, nine children from the Salvation Army’s Westwood Transitional Village are listening intently to bike-unit volunteer Mike Poteet explain the do’s and don’ts of trail riding.

“Is everybody ready?” Poteet’s voice bounces off the mountains. The kids jump on their bikes.

Harman and his wife, Holly, make a point of volunteering for the twice-monthly “Trips for Kids” events. CORBA supplies the bikes, helmets, water bottles and snacks. The kids provide the enthusiasm.

“All the people who work here are nice,” said 11-year-old Krystal Nettles. “They show us rocks with fossils and tell us about the Indians and the plants they used.”

In May, the Los Angeles Times Valley and Ventura County Editions presented CORBA with a Community Partnership Award grant for environmental and ecology services. The funds are being used to replace old radios and replenish the patrols’ knapsack supplies, including maps, first-aid items and tool kits.

Harman, who ended his 26-year career with the postal service a few years ago, says there’s nothing he’d rather do than make the parks safer and more enjoyable for everyone.

“To me, the greatest satisfaction I get is talking to and educating park visitors. With CORBA, I can protect the parks and help educate users too. I got involved because I wanted to give something back.”

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